Memoirs of the Extraordinary Military Career of John Shipp Late a Lieut. in His Majesty's 87th Regiment

Born into modest Suffolk roots, John Shipp entered the army as a child‑recruit after a brief stint in the parish poorhouse. Guided by a benevolent captain, he taught himself reading and arithmetic while serving in the Channel Islands, at the Cape, and later on the Indian frontier, where his courage earned him a place in the Grenadier company and a role in the daring storm‑troops at Deig and Bhurtpore. Wounded three times yet undaunted, he was rewarded with a commission and quickly rose from ensign to lieutenant by 1805, a remarkable ascent for a former pauper.

Financial pressures forced Shipp to sell his commission and return to London penniless, but his resolve remained intact. He re‑joined the army with the 24th Light Dragoons, again heading to India, where he climbed the ranks to regimental sergeant‑major and caught the attention of senior officers. The memoir captures his gritty determination and the vivid world of early nineteenth‑century warfare, inviting listeners to walk beside a soldier who repeatedly reinvented himself against the odds.