NGFour Sept/Oct 2020

Old Soldiers Never Die?
by Bob Massey
There is a saying that old soldiers never die, they
just fade away. This story is about one old soldier
from Gedling.
In the 18th century, life expectancy of the average
working man was 35yrs. Accidents, living
conditions and large numbers of fatal diseases
took their toll. The British Army in the 18th century
was commonly seen as disciplined, regimented
and harsh. Camp life was dirty and cramped
with the potential for a rapid spread of disease.
Punishments could be anything from a flogging
to a death sentence. Yet many men volunteered to
join the army. This was to escape the even bleaker
conditions of life in the cities. It also gave them a
chance to travel the world and earn a regular wage.
The army fed you, clothed
you and generally looked
after you. Which was not
the case in civilian life,
where often the basic
necessities were hard to
come by. For this reason
many men joined the
call to arms at an early
age. You could become
a drummer boy at 10 and
a soldier at 17. Soldiers
were not fighting for most of the time but when
they were they could die from wounds or disease.
Often in long campaigns more soldiers died from
disease than in battle. You could serve in the army
for various terms and re-enlistment was available
when your first term was finished. There even
existed veteran battalions for those soldiers who
were too old for normal service.
John Plinders, a soldier from Gedling, held a
remarkable record for long service. John died
in June 1798 at the grand age of 96. This was
exceptional, especially considering he had served
his country as a soldier for some 62 years! He then
retired on a pension that kept him comfortable for
the rest of his long life.
A soldier in the British Army during the 18th
century would have faced war in a number of
places throughout Europe and the colonies of the
British Empire. John, in his time in the army, was
involved in the battles of the Jacobite rising of
1745 and the Seven Years’ War between 1756–63.
For 34 of his service years he was a Gunner in the
Royal Artillery, very likely originally joining as a boy
soldier, a drummer boy, and then becoming a full
soldier at 17. He must have re-enlisted several
times during this long service. On leaving the
artillery John served for a further 22 years in the
8th (or Kings Own) Regiment of Foot. Not satisfied
with this he then joined the 52nd Regiment of Foot
under General Lambton for a further six years until
he finally retired to his native parish of Gedling.
Life for a British soldier at the time was often
tough and challenging. Plenty of training was
needed before a soldier could enter the battlefield;
drills and exercises had to be strictly followed.
Punishments were applied for even the most minor
of mistakes but John survived it all.
While he was serving in the 8th Regiment he was
in six battles and two siege actions. The battles
of Dettingen, Fontenoy, Falkirk, Val and one of the
bloodiest battles to take place on British soil, the
battle of Culloden. John was also present at the
siege of Stirling Castle and at Bergen op. Zoom.
A truly remarkable achievement for one soldier,
especially in the 18th century.
His service and death, when it finally came, was
recorded in the papers all over the country not just
those in his native Nottinghamshire. The Bristol
Magpie newspaper even retold part of his story
in 1898 on the one hundredth anniversary of his
death.
Are you a budding historian and have an interest in local history? We are looking for a regular
contributor for our new NGFour magazine. Email: ali@ngmagazines.org.uk