Soldiers of the 4th (The Queen's Own Light) Dragoons who served in the Crimean War

Photograph of four soldiers from the 4th (The Queen's Own Light) Dragoons who served in the Crimean War. From left to right: Healy Stratton, Sergeant D Gillam, William Simpson and J J Moon. All are wearing military uniform with the Crimean Medal and are wearing or holding a helmet with a plume. There is a building with a veranda behind.

These soldiers were awarded the Crimean Medal by Queen Victoria on 18th May 1855. Throughout the war she had taken an active interest in the welfare of the troops and on their return to Britain she met a number of veterans at Buckingham Palace and at the military hospital at Chatham.

David Joseph Gillam, born in Montrose, rode in the Charge of the Light Brigade. He was subsequently wounded at Inkerman on 5 November 1854. He was invalided back to England in March 1855, after time at Scutari. He died in Manchester on 29 May 1866.
Healey Stratton was born on 30 July 1820. He was sent to the hospital at Scutari on 25 September 1854 and remained there until March 1855 when he returned to England. He was discharged from the army on 23 February 1857. He worked as a groom for Major Hutton, of the same regiment, who had been severely wounded in the Charge of the Light Brigade.
John Thomas Moon enlisted on 11 December 1838, aged 23, having previously been a labourer. He was wounded in the Crimea and sent to Scutari on 1 December 1854, before being invalided back to England in March 1855. He was discharged from the army on 6 January 1863.
William Simpson, previously an iron monger, enlisted aged 19. He was wounded in the Crimea and returned on 25 December 1854. He died in Hong Kong on 13 January 1863, having been transferred to the Commissariat Corps in 1859.