Regimental Sergeant Major George Dutton,
Army Hospital Corps, Medical Staff Corps, and Royal Army Medical Corps.

Research on Regimental Sergeant Major George Dutton shows the following dates of rank, campaign service, and army appointments related to his 21 years (1882-1903) service in the British Army:[1]

Birth & Enlistment:

George Dutton was born in the Parish of Chiddington, in or near the Town of Chiddington, in the County of Bucks, in May of 1860. His father is listed as Edward Dutton at ? Railway Station. He was given notice by Staff Sergeant J. Carrodan of the Army Hospital Corps. At the age 22 years, he enlisted for General Service at Aldershot on the 22^nd of May 1882. He was assigned to the Army Hospital Corps and given the regimental number 5004 which he retained throughout his entire service.

Physical Description and Medical Information:

George's physical description at the time of his enlistment shows that he was 5 feet 7 ¼ inches tall, had a fresh complexion, brown eyes, and black hair, weighed 136 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 34 inches. His religious denomination was the Church of England. His trade was listed as a clerk.

His medical record shows him as fit for service on enlistment. There are no other medical records included with his soldiers documents.

Statement of Army Promotion, Conduct, and Campaign Service:

George Dutton was posted as a Private on the 22^nd of May 1882 in the Army Hospital Corps. He passed a course of instruction in, "Professional Army Hospital Corps" in 1882 and was to received a Second Class Certificate of Education on the 29^th of December 1882. He received his first Good Conduct pay on the 22^nd of May 1884. He passed an examination for Corporal on the 19^th of February 1883. He would rise through the ranks very rapidly. He was appointed to Lance Corporal in the newly designated Medical Staff Corps on the 18^th of March 1885. Soon after this, he was promoted to Corporal on the 28^th of March 1885 after holding the rank of Lance Corporal for 10 days. He was appointed to Lance Sergeant on the 1^st of January 1887 and quickly promoted to Sergeant on the 25^th of January 1887. He passed a class of instruction qualifying him as a, "Compounder of Medicines" on the 22 ^nd of June 1887. On the 24^th of April 1889 Sergeant Dutton extended his service to 12 years with the Colours. He continued his service as a Sergeant and on the 4^th of May 1894 he again extended his service for such term as shall complete his service to 21 years. Sergeant Dutton was promoted to Staff Sergeant in the Medical Staff Corps on the 27^th of February 1895. Staff Sergeant Dutton received his Group I Certificate of Education on the 30^th of March 1897 in Cape Town, South Africa. Five years after promotion to Staff Sergeant he was promoted to 1^st Class Staff Sergeant in the newly designated Royal Army Medical Corps on the 3 ^rd of February 1900. In a little over 4 months, on the 23^rd of May 1900 he was promoted to Regimental Sergeant Major. No mention is made of him being tried by Court Martial or listed in the Regimental Defaulters Book during his entire period of service. During his military service Regimental Sergeant Major Dutton received four Certificates for classes of instruction or education and seven appointments or promotions in rank.

Regimental Sergeant Major Dutton's overseas and campaign service includes the following. He served as a Private in the India on "Trooping" duty from the 12^th of September 1883 to the 24^th of March 1884, a total of 194 days. After his short stay in India he was to serve at home for almost a year from the 25^th of March 1884 to the 23^rd of February 1885.

As a Corporal, George Dutton was to see his first active service during the Egypt Campaigns at Suakin from the 24^th of February 1885 to the 7^th of July 1885. For his service here he would receive the Egypt Medal with the clasp for Suakin 1885 and the Khidives Star.

After Suakin he was to serve at home for almost 10 years from the 8 ^th of July 1885 to the 26^th May 1895. Most of this service was as a Sergeant.

As a Staff Sergeant and Regimental Sergeant Major, George Dutton was to spend 6 years 249 days in South Africa from the 27^th of May 1895 to the 30^th of January 1902. During this period the Second Boer War would be fought. Regimental Sergeant Major Dutton would receive the Queen's South Africa Medal with the clasps for the Cape Colony, Orange Free State and Transvaal along with the King's South Africa Medal with clasps for South Africa 1901 and 1902. He was also awarded the medal for Long Service and Good Conduct in 1901. This was one of the last Long Service medals to be issued during Queen Victoria's reign. The last year of his service would be spent at home.

Conduct and Discharge Statement:

Regimental Sergeant Major George Dutton was discharge at York in consequence of having completed twenty one years service on the 21^st of May 1903. At the time of discharge his character was listed as, "exemplary." His special qualifications for employment in civil life are a, "compounder of medicines." He is described as, "thoroughly sober and reliable, a good clerk, painstaking and industrious. Highly recommended for any place of trust." No intended place of residence is listed at the time of discharge.

Regimental Sergeant Major George Dutton's medals include the undated Egypt Medal with the clasp "Suakin 1885" named to, "5004 CORP: G. DUTTON, M. S. CORPS", the Queen's South Africa Medal with the clasps "Cape Colony", "Orange Free State", and "Transvaal" named to, "5004 S.MAJOR G. DUTTON, R.A.M.C.", the King's South Africa Medal named to, "5004 SERJT: MAJ: G. DUTTON, R.A.M.C.", the Victorian Army Long Service Good Conduct Medal, 3^rd type, with small impressed san-serif letters used in the last two years of Queen Victoria's reign, named to, "5004 St. Sgt. 1 ^st CL: G. DUTTON." and a unnamed Khedives Star dated 1884-6.