Is this the same soldier??? William Crump

[Jack TT]

help and advice please!

William Crump:William George Crump. I have different records from FindMyPast and wondered if they all relate to the same soldier.
No M7/3630. joined in Feb. 1881 age 14. 70 Brigade Curragh camp
M7/3623. Joined Royal Munster fusiliers in May 1891. age 17
4886 or 9/1180 joined army reserve in 1914. age 42
A lot of the information in the records seems to match apart from the ages.
Might be a wild goose chase but a lot seems to match.
Any assistance would be welcome

[Milliepede]

Have you traced those names on census or found birth registrations to confirm this information.

He may have fibbed about his age if he was too young.

[Jack TT]

Hi,
Thanks for the reply, I have not checked birth registrations, the only records I had were his Boer war details as well as his medal entitlements to QSA/KSA. Army No: M7/3623.
FindMyPast sent me a mail saying that there was a record to look at, when I checked it showed an 1881 service record and an 1914 army reserve document, I am not sure if it is the same person, however, the London areas mentioned are very close to each other and a lot of the dates link up, some of the medical comments seem to match as well, but I wondered if someone with more knowledge would have a view on this. I am sure that the 1881 and 1914 records are the same man, I am trying to get the Boer war record to fit. I can't make out the place of birth  details on the 1881 service record. He also has another army number of 2763.
As I said earlier I am not sure if these are two different people with the same name or it is the same man .

[ShaunJ]

M7/3630 was discharged in 1893 and clearly can't be the same as M7/3623 William Charles Crump who attested in 1891 aged 17 and served until 1903.

[Jack TT]

Thanks for the reply Shaun.
A couple of things sparked my query:
On the 1881 attestation, statement of services, there is an entry stating William Crump No.3630 re-engaged with RMF 15th May 1891.....On the short service attestation of 22 May 1891 No. 3623 William Charles Crump joins the RMF.
There are a few other cross over dates on both attestations in 1991, but on the short service of William Crump in Oct 1914 he states that he was in the RMF about 1903, however his original 1881 enlistment states that his service finished in 1891.
The short service attestation of May 1991 makes reference to having rejoined the colours in 1899 for a total of 1 year 196 days ending in 1903
I noted that he was also jailed for assault in 1892 , this was not declared in the attestation of 1914.
The last thing that caught my eye was the service numbers 3630 and 3623, they just looked so close???
Hope I have not put too much information and confused the issue.

[Jack TT]

Apologies 1881 attestation states that his service finished in 1893!

[ShaunJ]

4886/1180 in 1914 is definitely the same soldier as 3630 (1881-1893). The discharge papers are linked together. Both have sisters named Florrie/Florence. There's a 1918 medical report for 1180 which records that he was then aged 51 and had been discharged from the RMF on 16 March 1893.

[Jack TT]

Thanks again Shaun, the only outstanding query is that on the 1914 attestation he states that he was with the RMF and left about 1903,this would fit with the 3623 soldier and his boer war service???

[ShaunJ]

on the 1914 attestation he states that he was with the RMF and left about 1903

That's wrongly stated or mistranscribed by the army recruiter. He lied about his age too. It's all correctly recorded in the 1918 medical report.