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Author Topic: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?  (Read 795 times)

Offline Jebber

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Re: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?
« Reply #9 on: Saturday 13 February 21 15:12 GMT (UK) »
If they couldn't get into the Army some joined the Royal Navy.

John Travers CORNWALL 1900-1916 enlisted in the Navy and was at the battle of Jutland, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross  after his death aged 16.

A second cousin of mine born in 1901, joined the Navy at 14, went to sea at 16. He survived WW1 and served in WW2. he died aged 110 9n 2011.
CHOULES All ,  COKER Harwich Essex & Rochester Kent 
COLE Gt. Oakley, & Lt. Oakley, Essex.
DUNCAN Kent
EVERITT Colchester,  Dovercourt & Harwich Essex
GULLIVER/GULLOFER Fifehead Magdalen Dorset
HORSCROFT Kent.
KING Sturminster Newton, Dorset. MONK Odiham Ham.
SCOTT Wrabness, Essex
WILKINS Stour Provost, Dorset.
WICKHAM All in North Essex.
WICKHAM Medway Towns, Kent from 1880
WICKHAM, Ipswich, Suffolk.

Offline Dyingout

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Re: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?
« Reply #10 on: Saturday 13 February 21 15:53 GMT (UK) »
Not in the war but I know my father lied on enlistment in 1927 gave his birth one year earlier. Mind you there were seven people living in a 2 up 2 down cottage.
Dow/Dowe Norfolk and Suffolk
Mulley/Wilden Suffolk
Loome/lombe Norfolk

Offline markheal

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Re: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?
« Reply #11 on: Saturday 13 February 21 16:20 GMT (UK) »
Quote from: Jebber on Sunday 24 January 21 13:47 GMT (UK)
NO. Some men lied about their age and other things on enlistment. Some are known to have deserted and later re-enlisted under a fictions name and details.

My gt-uncle deserted Boer War, then wanted to re-enlist for WWI using a version of his brother's name.  Then when completing the Next-of-Kin details he had to invent details for the same brother and Mother but luckily used their correct addresses.
ANSTRUTHER,Worldwide
BENNETT,
BRETT, Sligo
CARNEGIE,
CROCKFORD, Hampshire.
ELLIOT,
GAUNTLETT, Worldwide
HEAL, HEALE, HELE, Chew Magna, Somerset
HENRY, Sligo
MABEY, Dorset
O'HANLON
POPE, London docklands,
STANDERWICK, Somerset,
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Offline liscoole

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Re: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?
« Reply #12 on: Saturday 13 February 21 22:38 GMT (UK) »
Thank you everyone for your input.

I find it hard to understand why men so young were so keen to enlist at any cost!

I suppose we have the benefit of hindsight though and see the wars for the horrors they were, not through the veil of jingoism that was apparent at the time.


MAGEE (Dungannon Tyrone to Shankill Belfast, to Whitehouse Co Antrim,) HALL (Lisnaskea, Fermanagh to Yan Yean, Melbourne Australia) McIVOR (Whitehouse, Co Antrim), McCULLOUGH (Markethill, Armagh), DEMPSTER (Ballymena, Co Antrim to Belfast), CUMMING (Glasgow), EVANS (Llandysill, Montgomeryshire to Belfast), NEVIN/ NEVINS (Ballynahinch, Co Down to Belfast), EMMS (Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey), HURREY (Yan Yean, Whittlesea, Melbourne), FINLAY- Jane, of Co Down, m James McIvor 1867. HOBSON Tyrone

Offline barryd

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Re: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?
« Reply #13 on: Sunday 14 February 21 03:17 GMT (UK) »
In this case the Soldier did not Provide ID on enlistment but ran away to enlist. His middle class father wrote to the Army and sent a copy of his birth certificate. It is the only copy of a WW1 soldier's birth certificate in in the "Unburnt" World War I Army records I have ever seen.

"1918: 06550 Gunner Joseph Smith Routledge, 23 Heavy Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery, died 2 SEP 1918. Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His army records contain his birth certificate which is unusual. His father sent the Army JSR's Birth Certificate as he was too young to be posted overseas. He had run away and joined the Army. Although too young for overseas postings the Army kept him in the British Isles until he was of age and immediately posted him to France where he was killed.

The Army did not release him but just returned him 

Offline AncestryPete

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Re: Did soldiers have to provide ID on enlistment?
« Reply #14 on: Friday 19 February 21 10:27 GMT (UK) »
Lads of 12 and 13 were at sea with the Merchant Navy in both world wars and possibly the youngest casualties of both wars are boy seamen aged 13 in WW1 and 14 in WW2.  I am sure that I noted brothers aged 14 and 15 were lost together in WW2 when their ship was sunk by a U-boat.
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