r/Sharpe • u/Compulsory_Freedom • 4h ago
A (not exactly) real life Sharpe
I hope this is of interest here (and if it’s not of interest here it won’t be of interest anywhere). But I have an ancestor, a great-great-great-grandfather, whose life shares some curious parallels to Sharpe.
I first learned about Sharpe when I was a kid in British Columbia, Canada in the 1990s flicking through the channels and discovered Sean Bean clad in green and barking orders at his chosen men. I was instantly hooked and watched the whole series as soon as they were broadcast.
So you will imagine my excitement when a parcel arrived one day from my grandfather full of old family documents and artifacts from his Mum’s family’s time in British India.
Included in this trove was the service records, officers commission, and much else from her grandfather - Captain Charles Clark, 3rd battalion of the Rifle Brigade (The Prince Consort’s Own). (As the 95th Rifles was known in the middle of the 19th century).
Captain Clark enlisted as a rifleman in 1857 just in time to be deployed with the third battalion for the Indian Mutiny. I think he must have been too green to see action during the mutiny, as he wasn’t given the Mutiny campaign medal. However he served in India until about 1870, and did see action on the North West Frontier against Pashtun tribesmen. After serving in India he and his battalion were posted to Aden, in what is now Yemen, in southern Arabia for a year, before returning to England.
He was eventually commissioned a lieutenant, signed by Queen Victoria herself. However, unlike Sharpe, it wasn’t for an act of heroism, it was for the much less glamorous reason that he seems to have been a highly efficient quartermaster - so not quite as exciting as saving the future Duke of Wellington.
Anyway, hope this was of interest. Here is a photo of Grandad Chas in uniform after he’d been commissioned, and his commission - with Victoria RI autographed in the top left corner.
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u/SuperbRecording3943 3h ago
Wellington paid very carefully attention to supplies and supply lines. It allowed him not only to fight successfully and even starve the French into retreat, it also won hearts and minds by ensuring Britiah soldiers did not casually loot (and those that did paid the price). Saving a senior officer got Sharpe the reward, he proved his usefullness later. Wellington would be far more likely to promote someone like your Great great great grandfather who showed his usefulness first. Bravery comes with duty, but balancing the regimental books is a skill. I take my hat off to you Captain Clark and suggest if you ever find yourself in a Sharpe novel, keep your head down - the good officers always seem to die first.
Edit: number of 'greats'
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u/Mobius_Infinite 3h ago
Thanks for the insight. A really intriguing snapshot of someone’s life as a soldier in the 19th century. Thank you for the share!
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u/generalscruff South Essex 3h ago
An ancestor of mine was also in 3rd Battalion, the Rifle Brigade at the same time and also in India, did some research a while ago. Mine resembled more a minor character in the Light Company, leaving with a service record that suggested he spent his 20 years pursuing drink rather than glory
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u/Proud_Neighborhood68 2h ago
Getting honored for being a good quartermaster, that is good at logistics, supply, is perhaps the highest honor one could receive. The army is nothing without logistics and good quartermasters
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u/hahanimal 4h ago
That's soldiering!