| Surname: | Purser |
| Initials: | A |
| Rank: | Sergeant |
| Army Number: | 356 |
| Notes: | MMP. 22/12/87 he enlisted in the 1 Dragoon Guards, No 3214, age 19 years, occupation Baker, born Spetchley, Worcs. Served 1 year at Whiteladies, Aston with Mr Page as an apprentice. 29/3/93 transferred to MMP. Served Home 22/12/87 to 18/2/89, India 19/2/89 to 2/11/91, Homer 3/11/91 to 15/3/94, Egypt 16/3/94 to 13/10/99, South Africa 14/10/99 to 29/11/02, Home 30/11/02 to 21/10/08 to discharge time served. Awarded the Long Service & Good Conduct Medal, Army Order 242 of 1904. 21/10/03 married Louisa Powell (widow) at the Parish Church, Fishponds, Bristol, address: Strawberrry House, Downend Road, Fishponds, Bristol. See re enlisted in the MPSC No. W/1785 in WWI for more details. Alfred Purser. Extract from the Wiltshire Advertiser 23 February 1905. PEWSEY - SEVEN DAYS FOR CAMPING OUT. At the Police Court on Friday, Casson Beuverie, five navvies named George Owen, Willian Cartwright, John Welsh, James O'Brien and James Everett were brought up in custody charged under the War Office Bye-laws, for camping and bivouacking on the plains. The evidence of Sergt. Purser of the Military Mounted Police and Sergt. Witt, of the Wilts Constabulary at Ludgershall, showed that there is an unoccupied shed on Perham Down, which in used the storage of canvas and other materials used during the camping season. The officers mentioned, with two others, went to the shed just before midnight, Thursday and there found the five prisoners asleep and huddled in the canvas cloths. The officers disturbed them and as they were without "visible means," the military officer handed them over to the custody of Sergt. Witt and they were lodged for the night at Ludgershall Police Station, being brought to Pewsey on Friday. The building in which the prisoners were was barricaded with hurdles and to gain access to it, it was necessary to remove these. One of the men disputed the term "building" being applied to the place; he said it was by the roadside and anyone could walk into it without removing anything. Sergt. Witt described the structure, satisfying the magistrate that it was a building which needed protection in view of the Government property in it. It was, he said, built of corrugated iron, standing on oak posts each side and the roof resting on a frame. Some of the men had a few pence on them; some had no money. Each prisoner made practically the same defence, Cartwright said he had just arrived on the camp from London and had secured a job.; He went to one of the doss-houses, but was too late to obtain a bed, as no lodgers were taken after nine o'clock; he offered the superintendent three pence to be allowed to sit under the shelter of the roof, but the latter told him that the rules could not be broken. Welsh said he had come from Wales, had secured a job, but had not money to go to the doss-house, he saw the structure in which they were found by the roadside and walked into it without disturbing anything. O'Brien and Everitt also said they had secured work and would have been at it now had they not been taken into custody. They only wanted to tide over the night.l Prisoners were sent to gaol for a week each. |
Decoration Record: | |
| Decoration: | Queen's South Africa Medal (London Gazette: QSA Medal Roll WO 100/234 Page: 189 July 5, 1901) |
| Citation: | Clasps: Paardeburg, Dreifontein, Johannesburg, Cape Colony. |
| Decoration: | King's South Africa Medal (London Gazette: KSA Medal Roll WO 100/355 Page: 300 Dec. 23, 1902) |
| Citation: | Clasps: South Africa 1901 and South Africa 1902. |