TOPIC:

Can anyone give me any information on 3359 Pte J. Ayling 1st. RL. SUSSEX Regt?

Welcome to the Forum David

His 1890 attestation papers and incomplete Service Record can be found on Find My Past.

John attested 8th January 1890 in Brighton and gave his age as 18 years 2 months and his place of birth as Hove. He was of the Roman Catholic faith and originally gave his mother Mary as his NOK living at 52 Ellen St, Brighton. In 1896 this was replaced by his married sister Annie Napper living at 22 Cambridge St, Brighton.

He served in India from November 1891 to November 1897. The records then get a bit chaotic but it would appear he was in Malta when the Second Boer War started and served in South Africa but no dates are given for his time there. He must have been there for at least 18 months because Medal Rolls (findable on Ancestry) show he was awarded the Kings South Africa Medal with both date clasps and the Queen's South Africa Medal with 4 clasps - Cape Colony, Johannesburg, Diamond Hill & Wittenbergen.

Using the Unit Information on this site should help with what the 1st Battalion Royal Sussex's did and what his clasps mean.

Great many thanks you have been most helpful. I have his medals (see attached).