Duncan Taylor with two lives.

[josey]

The informant was John Taylor father so he was pretty likely to get his wedding anniversary date wrong  only a day out is amazingly good in my experience 

And Duncan was apparently making it up as he went along.

 

[anne_p]

I see a pattern forming.
As far as I can see, only the eldest James, would have been old enough to enlist in WW1 but based on census records in Scotland and the 1905 travel document, he would not be old enough to enlist before 1916.
Did they all sign up late in the campaign or were they all underage?

Keep us posted on your findings Karytay

[Karytay]

Good question, as I said before I am waiting on their army records to see what they were up to.
I did receive a email from the army archives saying they have received my email and I am in the waiting line. It took about two to three weeks last time to receive Duncan's records. So I suppose that's more or less how long I have to wait now. 

[loobylooayr]

Hi again,
Great finds folks
To me that certainly looks like Duncan Taylor enlisted on 16th April 1918 at the age of 15 and died still 15 years old that October, his 16th birthday would have been in the November. How sad .
The date of birth being a day out would not concern me. At a time when babies were born in the family home and delivered perhaps by a midwife , more often a family member/ neighbour, the exact date of birth can be mis-remembered.
Looby

Added- or perhaps he did just move his date on one day

[Karytay]

Thanks everyone for your help, I sent the info you all gave me to a distant relative in England that contacted me through one of the message board I am on about a month ago. She is also looking up her Taylor's. She confirmed that there were to Duncan's  one born in 1898 and died a year later.
And the other born in 1902 and this one was the one that died in 1918.

[loobylooayr]

Hi Karytay,

Poor Duncan. Dying before his 16th birthday in France
And how poignant  that we are discussing him and remembering him in this 100th WW1 anniversary year.

Best wishes,
Looby

[Karytay]

Thanks looby.
Yes indeed.