Hi Scott
Right, I need to change hats !, - I was approaching the situation entirely from a military records viewpoint, but I need to change to being a genealogist
His name was Alexander McKenzie.
Born May 8th 1896, Stevenston, Ayrshire
Father: Robert Miller McKenzie
Mother: Elizabeth CringleAlexander's father was indeed Robert Miller McKENZIE, but, witness his 1894 marriage record, and Alexander's 1896 birth record, Robert doesn't appear to have used his middle name.
It derives from his mother's mother's maiden surname, MILLER.
These are the wains of Alexander McKENZIE, Coal Miner, and Mary McKENZIE MS MILLER
MARY MCKENZIE
b. 29 NOV 1861 Stevenston
MARGARET MCKENZIE
b. 02 SEP 1863 Stevenston
ANN MCKENZIE
b. 09 MAY 1868 Stevenston
SAMUEL MCKENZIE
b. 12 OCT 1871 Stevenston
ROBERT
MILLER MCKENZIE
b. 25 JUN 1874
(Info from the Mormon familysearch.org website, which is free; for 1855 to 1875 these records are based on the GROS register books of births, so are very accurate, - in fact better than the ScotlandsPeople indexes in terms of content
.)
As you noted, Alexander married Jessie McCULLOCH on 4th June 1915 in Kilwinning, his address being shown as 5 Ardoch Crescent in Stevenson.
His occupation is shown as "Factory Worker". If he had been in the army at this time this would (at least should?!) have been shown as well, e.g. the entry above shows Alexander SMITH as "Tramway Motorman, Gunner 2nd Lowland Brigade RFA" (Royal Field Artillery).
Had Alexander been in the army, this should have been shown. If he was in a local Territorial unit, this may not have been shown.
Even if he wasn't then there was plenty time between the marriage in early June and the creation of the MGC in Oct 1915 fro him to have been called up or volunteered and ended up first in another unit. Have a close look at the TNA Kew website to understand which medals he could and couldn't have been awarded on the basis of these dates.
Given the 1915 marriage it's possible that there was one or more child between the marriage and his discharge in 1918/1919.
Any such birth record should show his army unit.
There's 17 McKenzie births in Stevenston and Kilwinning (Jessie could well have gone back to her mammy's while her hubby was on active service abroad).
1915 MCKENZIE SARAH KILWINNING
1915 MCKENZIE JOHN KILWINNING
1915 MCKENZIE JOAN PATERSON STEVENSTON
1915 MCKENZIE HUGH MCALLISTER STEVENSTON
1915 MCKENZIE CHRISTINA MALLO STEVENSTON
1916 MCKENZIE ELIZABETH LAMON KILWINNING
1916 MCKENZIE ELIZABETH RAMSA KILWINNING
1916 MCKENZIE HANNAH KILWINNING
1916 MCKENZIE JAMES M KILWINNING
1917 MCKENZIE MARGARET LENNON STEVENSTON
1918 MCKENZIE JOAN PATERSON STEVENSTON
1918 MCKENZIE JOHN STEVENSTON
1918 MCKENZIE ROBERT ALEXANDE KILWINNING
1919 MCKENZIE JOHN STEVENSTON
1918 MCKENZIE ALEXANDERINA TE STEVENSTON
1919 MCKENZIE SARAH STEVENSTON
1919 MCKENZIE WILLIAM STEVENSTON
There's no obvious middle name links, but I'd look first at
the 1915 Hugh, the 1916 Hannah, and the 1918 Robert
Alexander ......, except that these images aren't on line !,
so, via ScotlandsPeople you'd have to buy the "extracts" at
£10 apiece !
You father may have info to narrow down the search ?..........
As noted above if there are wartime births from the marriage then
his unit will be shown; possibly, for the MGC, down to battalion or
company level !
Or, wait a while, as there's a chance I'll be in Edinburgh in the next
couple of weeks, and it's about 15 minutes or less to to look up these
records !
The Ardeer Company "A W McKenzie" was probably Andrew Wotherspoon McKenzie, the son of William McKenzie, Steamboat Stoker, and Maggie McKenzie MS Logan, who married in Stevenston in 1891.
Orraverybest
David
