And the magic number is .... ?

[SmallTownGirl]

Can someone please tell me what the original number was written into the No. space?  My best guess is 11904 or 11964, but I'm open to offers 

Thanks
STG

[Rosinish]

Or 11904 if the tail for '6' is from above....difficult to say 

Annie

[josey]

I have 'fiddled with' the image. It seems to me that the 'tail' is at a sharper angle to all the other downward 'vertical' lines ie in the 2 '7's in 55077 above and in the '1' & the '7' in 201870 below. It is not continuous with the last integer of the number immediately above. So it seems more likely [to me] that the downward stroke of the 4th integer is not from the numbers above, but the start of a '6'; so '11964'. However the numbers are probably written by different people at different times. 

ADDED: Is this from an army record, STG? if so, whose is it so we can look at the original scan.

[Rosinish]

Thanks Josey,

I couldn't see what was above to be honest as it's very small 

Annie

[josey]

I doubt if we will ever be sure, Annie, unless other records exist to show one way or the other.

[John915]

Good evening,

The third digit looks to have a very straight but sloping edge to it. So I would say 11464, because of the large splodge you can't see if it matches exactly to the other 4.

John915

[John915]

Back again,

My guess is that he served in several different units or his service time spanned the changes in the numbering system,

Does the document give all his units? If so then the first unit will go with that no.

So name, regt, and date of enlistment will help give us that number.

John915

[josey]

Putting that number in findmypast military records with initial of first name 'W' brings up
First name(s)   William W
Last name   Hutchinson
Year   1914-20
Service number   11464
Rank   Private
Regiment   Yorkshire Regiment
Service record   Soldier Number: 11464, Rank: Private, Corps: Yorkshire Regiment
Country   Great Britain
Medal type   British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920
Archive reference   WO372/10
Archive reference description   Campaign Medal Index Cards and Silver War Badge Cards

55077
First name(s)   W
Last name   Rose
Year   1914-20
Service number   S4/093850, 55077
Second service number   55077
Rank   Private,Private
Second rank   Private
Regiment   Army Service Corps, Essex Regiment
Second corps   Essex Regiment
Service record   Soldier Number: S4/093850, Rank: Private, Corps: Army Service Corps
Second service record   Soldier Number: 55077, Rank: Private, Corps: Essex Regiment
Image link   http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=D4947188
Country   Great Britain
Medal type   British Army Medal Index Cards, 1914-1920
Archive reference   WO372/17
Archive reference description   Campaign Medal Index Cards and Silver War Badge Cards

Agree, John, will wait for STG to get back with name....

[SmallTownGirl]

I have 'fiddled with' the image. It seems to me that the 'tail' is at a sharper angle to all the other downward 'vertical' lines ie in the 2 '7's in 55077 above and in the '1' & the '7' in 201870 below. It is not continuous with the last integer of the number immediately above. So it seems more likely [to me] that the downward stroke of the 4th integer is not from the numbers above, but the start of a '6'; so '11964'. However the numbers are probably written by different people at different times. 

ADDED: Is this from an army record, STG? if so, whose is it so we can look at the original scan.

It's from the WWI Attestation Papers for William Edward Goodwin, b. Sutton Courtney, Berks in 1873.  He enlisted into the Leicestershire Regiment and I believe the first number - the one I'm after - is his regimental number for the Leicesters.  Other numbers appear to relate to his service in other regiments, like the Lincolnshires.

This image is from FindMyPast, which seems a bit clearer than the Ancestry one.  FindMyPast has it as 11964