*HELP* Jack ernest moore - 1st lieutenant machine gun Corps

[Lawlessx]

Hi Good People,

 

I have developed an interest over the last few years in ww1 lives and soldiers.

 

I have visited graves for people - when they can't!

 

On my return from Flanders this week I was talking to a friend of mine.

 

She expressed an interest in her grandfather- she said her mum had tried to trace his grave with no luck.

 

Can you guys help.me help her ?

 

Here is what shes knows...

 

"Hi! Liam lovely to see you this morning. This is ALL I know about my biological grandfather: Jack Ernest Moore 1st Lieutenant Machine Gun Corps, Engineers Draughtsman. On my mother's birth certificate, 10/8/18, his address was given as 5 Kildare Terrace, Paddington, London. When I used Army records, Kew, Census etc everything was in its infancy. His common name & how it could be varied didn't help MY research! ANY help gratefully received!"

 

"Thank you, Liam! His wife, who registered my mother's birth, was Ada Annie Moore, formerly Evans. My mother was Eileen Christine. She was adopted, before adoptions were legal. The copy of her birth certificate is dated 24th Feb 1921. She was not told of her adoption but found out from playground talk, when her adoptive mother died."

 

10/8/18?

 

"Yes! It was my mother's dob. It says her father was of 5 Kildare Terrace but only her mother signed the certificate on the 20th August!"

 

"to continue...her adoptive name was Anderson."

 

I can't find any details of a marriage on free bmd...

 

Cwgc - I can't link any thing 

 

Is this a family cover up? 

 

Liam 

Edited 8 August , 2019 by Lawlessx

[Michelle Young]

Have you looking for John Ernest Moore as well? Jack being a common name used for John. Just a thought.

 

Michelle 

[PRC]

13 hours ago, Lawlessx said:

I can't find any details of a marriage on free bmd...

 

I too cannot find any likely marriage of an Ada Annie \ Ada An* \ Ada A \ Ada \ Annie Ada \ Ann Ada \ Anne Ada\ Ann A \ Anne A \ Ann or Anne Evans to a Moore \ Moor \ More in England & Wales - although of course that doesn't rule out that they married elsewhere. However it would give you the most likely legal name he was known by if you could track it down.

 

I couldn't  find any likely candidate on CWGC with the wildcard surname "Mo* " serving with the Machine Gun Corps, the Australian Machine Gun Corps, the Canadian Machine Gun Corps, the Indian Machine Gun Corps or the South African Machine Gun Brigade - but, evidence of adoption date to the contrary, he could have died after the cut off for CWGC puposes of July 1921.

 

There is no likely service papers for a British Army officer with the surname Moore \ Moor \More serving with the British Army and with first names that could easily be twisted to become some variation on Jack Ernest.  Of course, particularly if he was home service only they could have been weeded away to nothing, or lost in the fire in WW2. Or he could have served with one of the other Commonwealth forces or he could even have been an American.

 

There is no obvious Medal Index Card at the National Archive - but then if he was home service only with the MGC or an American, there wouldn't be. (If he was Australian, Canadian, Indian, New Zealander or South African he would have received the British War Medal just for serving overseas).

 

The Civil Death Registers for England & Wales has no obvious match for a Jack E or John E. Moore during the period 1917- 1921. (By this stage my enthusiasm for checking out surname variations had kind of evaporated). James E brings up two possibles - a 46 year old who died in the Northwich District of Cheshire in the October to December quarter of 1917, and a 21 year old who died on the Isle of Wight in the October to December quarter of 1918. (I believe there were at least two officer training schools on the Isle of Wight but that could be a co-incidence). The 1919 Probate calendar has a candidate for the older man. He was a James Edwin who died at 23 Wittens Street, Northwich on the 15th December 1917, (so still could potentially have been the father of a child born in August 1918). The reason for bringing him up is that is profession is given as draughtsman. The estate was dealt with by what I assume to be a sister-in-law.

 

I don't believe there are any War Widow Pensions documents for Ada or her daughter. Of course if the daughter was given up for adoption at an early age and Ada remarried, they would have been weeded into non-existance by the end of the 1930's after the daughter reached 16. if not before. I don't have access to Ancestry or Fold3 so can't check if a Pension Ledger card exists.

 

The only Moore's recorded at living at Kildare Terrace, Paddington, were on the 1881 Census of England & Wales. On the 1911 version there are three households recorded at that address. One is headed by a woman who gives her occupation as Landlady. I suspect this address was a number of rented apartments, with the occupants changing on a fairly regular basis.

 

So it could be a perfect storm of lost, destroyed and mistranscibed paperwork, topped off with some incomptent researching on my part. On that basis there could be one more bit of evidence that will completely change the picture or a fresh set of eyes will interpret things differently.

 

Or this is a made up story to give a little girl a more suitable start in life. particularly if the father abandoned them rather than died. Or as a bit of a compromise, there are a number of cases from this period of individuals convicted of impersonating military personal and fraudently obtaining goods, money and credit as a result. Inevitably they were either deserters or avoiding prosecution and left a trail of duped individuals behind them. Inevitably as well they would use variations on a name to ensure they could be consistant while confusing others as to whether it was the same man - the court cases often involve witnesses from all over the country having to visually identify the offending individual.

 

I suspect it's very much a case of trying to prove a negative.

 

13 hours ago, Lawlessx said:

She was adopted, before adoptions were legal.

 

It wasn't illegal before 1927, it was just informal. Practically all such arrangements were verbal agreements and therefore not documented. Sadly it's one of the areas where I most get asked to help in tracing biological family.

 

Next potential steps

 - Check the monthly Army lists for 1918 & 1919 to see if you can identify any likely candidates - available here https://digital.nls.uk/british-military-lists/archive/97343435

- Check the London Gazette for possible surname variations that were commissioned. They normally only have initials. I suggest using a Google search rather than the website search engine - and Good Luck!

- Absent Voters Lists for 1918 & 1919 might give a unit - although given my suspicion these were short-term rental apartments he may not turn up at that address.The AVL for Paddington also doesn't appear to be available on line, so it may only be available at the British Library. See here https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/soldiers/how-to-research-a-soldier/finding-soldiers-through-the-1918-absent-voters-lists/

- Depending on her age and household status Ada may also have qualified for the vote as a result of the 1918 Representation of the People Act. In that case if you can track her down it might give a better indicator of where her husband might turn up on the AVL. If you don't already know her approximate age, (for example by calculating backwards from the age at death), then may be worth trying to track her down on the 1939 National Register for an an actual date of birth. Bear in mind in both cases those ages are only as good as the information given to officials.

 

13 hours ago, Lawlessx said:

but only her mother signed the certificate on the 20th August

 Either parent could register the birth if they were married - both didn't have to be present. Births registered shortly aftre the actual date tended to be registered by the father simply because there was a tradition of "lieing-in" - a week where the mother was expected to do nothing but recover and feed her new-born child. if the couple were unmarried then the father had to be present and sign the register in order for his name to appear on the certificate. He could not register the child by himself.

 

That system could be gamed. I've been helping a dear friend map out their biological family tree for a number of years - turns out they have two birth certificates. One was in the name of the man their mother believed to be the biological father. The story goes that she simply put a ring on her wedding finger and walked into the registrars office and stated she was the wife. There was also a grade inflation going on. She was a nurse and the father was a trainee doctor - on the first birth certificate he became a surgeon ! This fraudulent registration somehow came to light and three years later she had to re-register the birth and the original registry entry was struck through. However both birth entries appear on the published quarterly indexes of the relevant year, making my friend look as though they are three years younger.

 

Hope some of that helps,

 

Cheers,

Peter

Edited 8 August , 2019 by PRC
Typo

[DavidOwen]

How certain are you that his name was Jack Ernest (or (John), that he was a Lieutenant (1st Lieutenant is an American rank) and that he died in the war?

Like Peter I have struck many blanks but on searching the 1939 Register for an Ada Annie Moore I have found an Ada Ann Moore in Camberwell who was born in 1891, She was married to Frances (sic) Moore (a labourer born 1888). There are many Francis / Frank / F Moores in the Machine Gun Corps. 

The only Lieutenant can be ruled out as he lived up in Cheshire / Bedford.

The link to the 1939 register is here on FMP The downside is Ada Ann's maiden name is recorded as Fuller so it may most likely not be her FMP marriage

 

Sorry if this just muddies the waters......

 

 

[IPT]

The birth certificate does seem to state Jack Ernest Moore;

 

Name                                   Date and Place of Birth                     Registration District/Sub-district    Father             Mother (maiden name)

Eileen Christine MOORE    10 August 1918, 18 Warwick Cres.    Paddington/Central              Jack Ernest Moore    Ada Annie Evans

 

http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~stanier/family/X-Unwanted_Certificates.html

[Lawlessx]

So I have received the birth certificate this morning! 

 

Thank you guys 

 

I'm reading all this very carefully and will respond soon 

 

Liam

[PRC]

Forgot to add I also looked at the civil birth registers for England & Wales from 1837 onwards.

 

Ada Annie Evans.

 

Of women old enough to give birth in 1918, there are 14 matches, (the first in 1860, the last in 1898).

Ruling out those over 50 as very unlikely this was a first marriage reduces that to 10. Without doing a fair bit of checking it's impossible to know how many of those had died, married or emigrated.

 

Jack Ernest (or Earnest) Moore

 

No matches.

 

The possibility of him being an American servicemen I also explored but drew a blank. There is a WW2 draft card for a Jack Ernest Moore, living in Pennington, New Jersey. A search of the card shows he had originally completed and signed it as Jacob Ernest Moore, (so another option for a name search), but then amended it. However he was born Cologne, Germany, on the 1st February 1895, so I doubt Moore was his birth name. I can't find any record of him arriving in the US as Jacob or James, and he doesn't appear on the 1910, 1920 or 1930 US Census as far as I can tell. The draft card doesn't ask about previous military experience.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRMB-6J4

 

Cheers,

Peter

[IPT]

18 minutes ago, PRC said:

There is a WW2 draft card for a Jack Ernest Moore, living in Pennington, New Jersey. A search of the card shows he had originally completed and signed it as Jacob Ernest Moore, (so another option for a name search), but then amended it. However he was born Cologne, Germany, on the 1st February 1895, so I doubt Moore was his birth name. I can't find any record of him arriving in the US as Jacob or James, and he doesn't appear on the 1910, 1920 or 1930 US Census as far as I can tell. The draft card doesn't ask about previous military experience.

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRMB-6J4

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

I looked at that too! Wasn't he originally 'Moses'?  There are naturalisation papers for Jacob Ernst Moses.

 

( I agree that it's unlikely to be him)

 

Edited 8 August , 2019 by IPT

[PRC]

3 minutes ago, IPT said:

 

I looked at that too! Wasn't he originally 'Moses'?

 And the person who will always know his whereabouts is his wife Mrs Dina Moses - you are undoubtedly correct :-)

 

For a country so proud of it's Veterans it always strikes me as odd that the US doesn't have an online equivalent of the CWGC database.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[sadbrewer]

I've spent hours covering the same areas myself and pretty much drawn a blank...working on the assumption that  'Jack' was killed/died...I'm hesitating at saying never existed...., I've found a record for Paddington, the 2nd quarter of 1920,  for Ada A Moore marrying a Horace G Bromley.

 

Edit..scotch that theory

 She is Ada Amelia, a spinster.

Edited 8 August , 2019 by sadbrewer

[Lawlessx]

This is weird.

 

What's the possibility of this guy being made up to cover an illegitimate birth ?

 

I've drawn a blank also ...ancestry is usually good at hints ...

 

I made a mini tree 

 

will there be a full birth certificate some where to buy ? I might just but it if so ...

 

Thank you, thank you ! 

 

hopefully something will turn up 

 

Liam 

[DavidOwen]

Ignore my earlier red herring post please.

My next question is why would both a military and civilian profession be listed on the birth certificate?

Also the father's surname appears to have been altered?

[HolymoleyRE]

1 hour ago, sadbrewer said:

I've spent hours covering the same areas myself and pretty much drawn a blank...working on the assumption that  'Jack' was killed/died...I'm hesitating at saying never existed...., I've found a record for Paddington, the 2nd quarter of 1920,  for Ada A Moore marrying a Horace G Bromley.

 

Edit..scotch that theory

 She is Ada Amelia, a spinster.

 

You can also discount Ada Alice Taylor marrying Arthur Taylor in 1923.

I am currently inclined to think the same in regard Jack Ernest Moore as being a ghost.

 

Just now, DavidOwen said:

Ignore my earlier red herring post please.

My next question is why would both a military and civilian profession be listed on the birth certificate?

Also the father's surname appears to have been altered?

 

Have seen both before on marriage certificate, most recently on the marriage certificate of Robert Owen Davies Private 3rd Battalion RWF (Steel Smelter). 

Regards 

 

Andy 

 

[IPT]

I'm not claiming that this is him, but an interesting character living at 5 Kildare Terrace in 1918. I did find his marriage to Beatrice Bown though, which probably rules him out.

 

"George Stephen WIND. Royal Flying Corps, British War Medal & Victory Medal awarded to 2nd Lieutenant G.S. WIND. with World War 2 medals (1939-1945 War Medal & Defence Medal (un-named as issued). George Stephen WIND was born in Maidstone, Kent to Frederick & Ellen Wind in January 1895. He is enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps as a Driver with the 2nd Aircraft Park and is shown as entering France on the 11th January 1915. He is commissioned into the 7th Battalion, The Yorkshire Light Infantry on the 19th September 1915 - served again in France. On sick leave from February 1916. He relinquishes his commission on account of ill health caused by wounds on the 15th August 1917 (L.G. 14th August 1917). Issued S.W.B. #240015 (for wounds sustained). In 1918 he is listed as residing at 5 Kildare Terrace, Paddington. His medals are at the end of the war returned to sender (more than likely an incorrect address). WW2 service is shown as Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Temporary Lieutenant 24th June 1941, Temporary Acting Lt. Commander 1946 Navy List and dies Northampton June 1951, aged just 56. Paperwork is contained relating to all details mentioned, and many more. Quite the colorful character, he was court martialled relating to 27th July 1916 & 14th August 1916 of passing bad cheques. He is shown to have given a cheque for 2.45.11d which he could not cover for expenses incurred to a catering firm (Messeurs Cox. & Co.) and an Orderly, E. W. Nicholls. In evidence from the prosecution and defence. Wind was caught in the uniform of a RN Lieutenant at the Regent Palace Hotel, London whose 'manner' raised suspicion. He gave his name as Lt. G. S. Wind R.N. Wind claims he put on the wrong uniform, as he was 'short sighted', also claiming that as a result of being hit by an enemy shell while with the R.F.C., from which he suffered from concussion and black outs, affecting his memory. He further claims as a result, he could not remember his home address (while on convalescent leave) so as he remembered his wife worked at the hotel, he decided to stay there to find her. He states before the war he held a commission in the R.N.R. which he failed to mention to the Army upon enlistment. He claims he wore the naval officer's uniform so his wife could recognise him! Wind was 39 days in arrest before his trial, which took place on the 22nd September 1916. The initial trial was deemed 'improperly constituted' and a retrial was ordered for the 4th November. He was charged with 'Conduct to the prejudice of good order and Military Discipline' and 'behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman'. The passing of a further bad cheque for 2 gbp was added into the second charge. He was subsequently found guilty of the majority of the charges and severely reprimanded. He was given leniency based on his medical state and the fact he had spent 88 days under arrest by the conclusion of the court martial. A medical board was thereby convened whereby he was shown to be 'Not Fit' for further service, having suffered from shooting pains to the face, loss of eyesight and malaria as a result of wounds sustained on active service. Shows he was unconscious for 5 days from December 24th 1915 as a result of shell fire, loss of eyesight etc. These findings are dated 19th May 1920, a medical board which he failed to attend. Finally, it is reported in the Times newspaper 28th April 1920, George Wind was convicted in the Court of Petty Sessions, of stealing a motor car worth 700 gbp. His defence when caught was he had sustained head wounds/injury after crashing his plane during the war from a height of 5000 feet! He also claimed he had merely borrowed the car."

https://www.medalsgonemissing.com/AdvancedSearch/208.html

 

 

Edited 9 August , 2019 by IPT

[PRC]

Looks like he had moved to Jersey by the time he claimed his medals in 1920. (MiC sourced Ancestry).

 

12 minutes ago, IPT said:

I did find his marriage to Beatrice Bown though, which probably rules him out

 

Doesn't sound like the kind of man who might absent mindedly commit bigamy does he?

 

Cheers,

Peter

[DavidOwen]

Been mooching through the Silver War Badge Records, not found any shoe-ins yet...

[helpjpl]

1 hour ago, PRC said:

Looks like he had moved to Jersey by the time he claimed his medals in 1920. (MiC sourced Ancestry).

 

 

Doesn't sound like the kind of man who might absent mindedly commit bigamy does he?

 

Cheers,

Peter

1 hour ago, IPT said:

I'm not claiming that this is him, but an interesting character living at 5 Kildare Terrace in 1918. I did find his marriage to Beatrice Bown though, which probably rules him out.

 

"George Stephen WIND. Royal Flying Corps, British War Medal & Victory Medal awarded to 2nd Lieutenant G.S. WIND. with World War 2 medals (1939-1945 War Medal & Defence Medal (un-named as issued). George Stephen WIND was born in Maidstone, Kent to Frederick & Ellen Wind in January 1895. He is enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps as a Driver with the 2nd Aircraft Park and is shown as entering France on the 11th January 1915. He is commissioned into the 7th Battalion, The Yorkshire Light Infantry on the 19th September 1915 - served again in France. On sick leave from February 1916. He relinquishes his commission on account of ill health caused by wounds on the 15th August 1917 (L.G. 14th August 1917). Issued S.W.B. #240015 (for wounds sustained). In 1918 he is listed as residing at 5 Kildare Terrace, Paddington. His medals are at the end of the war returned to sender (more than likely an incorrect address). WW2 service is shown as Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Temporary Lieutenant 24th June 1941, Temporary Acting Lt. Commander 1946 Navy List and dies Northampton June 1951, aged just 56. Paperwork is contained relating to all details mentioned, and many more. Quite the colorful character, he was court martialled relating to 27th July 1916 & 14th August 1916 of passing bad cheques. He is shown to have given a cheque for 2.45.11d which he could not cover for expenses incurred to a catering firm (Messeurs Cox. & Co.) and an Orderly, E. W. Nicholls. In evidence from the prosecution and defence. Wind was caught in the uniform of a RN Lieutenant at the Regent Palace Hotel, London whose 'manner' raised suspicion. He gave his name as Lt. G. S. Wind R.N. Wind claims he put on the wrong uniform, as he was 'short sighted', also claiming that as a result of being hit by an enemy shell while with the R.F.C., from which he suffered from concussion and black outs, affecting his memory. He further claims as a result, he could not remember his home address (while on convalescent leave) so as he remembered his wife worked at the hotel, he decided to stay there to find her. He states before the war he held a commission in the R.N.R. which he failed to mention to the Army upon enlistment. He claims he wore the naval officer's uniform so his wife could recognise him! Wind was 39 days in arrest before his trial, which took place on the 22nd September 1916. The initial trial was deemed 'improperly constituted' and a retrial was ordered for the 4th November. He was charged with 'Conduct to the prejudice of good order and Military Discipline' and 'behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman'. The passing of a further bad cheque for 2 gbp was added into the second charge. He was subsequently found guilty of the majority of the charges and severely reprimanded. He was given leniency based on his medical state and the fact he had spent 88 days under arrest by the conclusion of the court martial. A medical board was thereby convened whereby he was shown to be 'Not Fit' for further service, having suffered from shooting pains to the face, loss of eyesight and malaria as a result of wounds sustained on active service. Shows he was unconscious for 5 days from December 24th 1915 as a result of shell fire, loss of eyesight etc. These findings are dated 19th May 1920, a medical board which he failed to attend. Finally, it is reported in the Times newspaper 28th April 1920, George Wind was convicted in the Court of Petty Sessions, of stealing a motor car worth 700 gbp. His defence when caught was he had sustained head wounds/injury after crashing his plane during the war from a height of 5000 feet! He also claimed he had merely borrowed the car."

https://www.medalsgonemissing.com/AdvancedSearch/208.html

 

 

Beatrice Wind filed for divorce in 1919 and the following year George S Wind was named co-respondent in Owen Llewellyn Owen's petition for divorce:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q="wind"&discoveryCustomSearch=true&_cr1=J+77&_hb=tna

 

I wonder if George had a mistress when he stayed at the Regent Palace Hotel and could it have been Ada?

 

JP

[sadbrewer]

1 hour ago, helpjpl said:

 

Beatrice Wind filed for divorce in 1919 and the following year George S Wind was named co-respondent in Owen Llewellyn Owen's petition for divorce:

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/results/r?_q="wind"&discoveryCustomSearch=true&_cr1=J+77&_hb=tna

 

I wonder if George had a mistress when he stayed at the Regent Palace Hotel and could it have been Ada?

 

JP

 

Just to follow this up...this bloke is as dodgy as they come, on the face of it he seems to come from a respectable family, his father sells music and is a member of a Masonic Lodge, George himself becomes an RAF officer and starts his own business, Red Road Cars , but he is convicted of a similar car theft offence in 1929...and the court noted he has three previous offences.

   He has a string of different addresses in the 1930's...nothing wrong with that...but he almost certainly has two entries in the 1939 Register...one shows a George S Wind born 9/2/1895 living with Ellen, his mother? at 31 Bridle Road, Ruislip/Northwood.

The second shows a George S Wind born 9/2/1897 living with the Frew family at 347 Sutton Common Road, Sutton/Cheam.

Both are Automobile Engineers with the same 9 February birthday, although one is given as 1897...there was a George Wind born in 1897, but he didn't survive.

   One is divorced...the other single.

 

   He certainly seems to be a candidate...there seems to be a possible blood relative on Ancestry...this lady needs to go down the DNA route, it could write off Mr Wind, but then again?

[Lawlessx]

Wow ! Thank you guys ...

 

Wind sounds a perfect "jack" the lad ...

 

Mmm 

 

So have we found details for Ada ? 

 

Pat seems to think or she was told - the blitz wiped a lot of records out and she is a victim of this ..

[PRC]

4 hours ago, sadbrewer said:

George himself becomes an RAF officer

 

Looking at the preview version of his RAF officer file on the National Archive it has been noted that the file has been created in error because there was a London Gazette reference in his Airmans file.  It then goes on to state the relevant commission date, London Gazette issue, and that he was commissioned in the Yorkshire Light Infantry. So not sure if there is another point post-war record that shows he became an RAF officer  - he certainly managed to persuade the Navy to let him join up in WW2 so I wouldn't put it past him !

 

1 hour ago, Lawlessx said:

So have we found details for Ada ?

 

As there is no marriage record, (and so no divorce record either) she could have used either Evans or Moore subsequently to breaking up with the father of her child. If that man was George Stephen Wind then she may even have got a taste for inventing names. There are just too many potential Ada Annie Evans of a likely age to try and quickly track them all down and hope you are left with one that "disappears" off the offiicial record when she styles herself Ada Annie Moore - and thats assuming she was born in England and Wales..

 

So part of the issue is how the family tale came to light. I assume Eileen Christine the daughter was given up at too early an age to remember her parents - you say

On 07/08/2019 at 22:12, Lawlessx said:

She was not told of her adoption but found out from playground talk, when her adoptive mother died

 

If Eileen Christine tracked down her birth mother then there may be more details available from your friend of what Ada was then known as and possibly her marital status and circumstances. That would give something to go on.

 

If however all Eileen Christine had was the copy of the birth certificate from her foster father and his remembrance of the verbal tale given him by the woman who put the child up for adoption then a good chance there is nothing meaningful to go on at all.

 

4 hours ago, sadbrewer said:

there seems to be a possible blood relative on Ancestry...this lady needs to go down the DNA route, it could write off Mr Wind, but then again?

 

This really may be the next step in the absence of any new information from your friend.

 

Cheers,

Peter

 

 

[dgibson150]

I think this might be Eileen Christine with surname Anderson on the 1939 Register . She was born 10/08/1918 and married George Benson in the fourth quarter of 1939. It doesn't really help much except to fill in a gap.

 

David

[sadbrewer]

18 hours ago, IPT said:

I'm not claiming that this is him, but an interesting character living at 5 Kildare Terrace in 1918. I did find his marriage to Beatrice Bown though, which probably rules him out.

 

"George Stephen WIND. Royal Flying Corps, British War Medal & Victory Medal awarded to 2nd Lieutenant G.S. WIND. with World War 2 medals (1939-1945 War Medal & Defence Medal (un-named as issued). George Stephen WIND was born in Maidstone, Kent to Frederick & Ellen Wind in January 1895. He is enlisted into the Royal Flying Corps as a Driver with the 2nd Aircraft Park and is shown as entering France on the 11th January 1915. He is commissioned into the 7th Battalion, The Yorkshire Light Infantry on the 19th September 1915 - served again in France. On sick leave from February 1916. He relinquishes his commission on account of ill health caused by wounds on the 15th August 1917 (L.G. 14th August 1917). Issued S.W.B. #240015 (for wounds sustained). In 1918 he is listed as residing at 5 Kildare Terrace, Paddington. His medals are at the end of the war returned to sender (more than likely an incorrect address). WW2 service is shown as Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Temporary Lieutenant 24th June 1941, Temporary Acting Lt. Commander 1946 Navy List and dies Northampton June 1951, aged just 56. Paperwork is contained relating to all details mentioned, and many more. Quite the colorful character, he was court martialled relating to 27th July 1916 & 14th August 1916 of passing bad cheques. He is shown to have given a cheque for 2.45.11d which he could not cover for expenses incurred to a catering firm (Messeurs Cox. & Co.) and an Orderly, E. W. Nicholls. In evidence from the prosecution and defence. Wind was caught in the uniform of a RN Lieutenant at the Regent Palace Hotel, London whose 'manner' raised suspicion. He gave his name as Lt. G. S. Wind R.N. Wind claims he put on the wrong uniform, as he was 'short sighted', also claiming that as a result of being hit by an enemy shell while with the R.F.C., from which he suffered from concussion and black outs, affecting his memory. He further claims as a result, he could not remember his home address (while on convalescent leave) so as he remembered his wife worked at the hotel, he decided to stay there to find her. He states before the war he held a commission in the R.N.R. which he failed to mention to the Army upon enlistment. He claims he wore the naval officer's uniform so his wife could recognise him! Wind was 39 days in arrest before his trial, which took place on the 22nd September 1916. The initial trial was deemed 'improperly constituted' and a retrial was ordered for the 4th November. He was charged with 'Conduct to the prejudice of good order and Military Discipline' and 'behaving in a scandalous manner unbecoming the character of an officer and a gentleman'. The passing of a further bad cheque for 2 gbp was added into the second charge. He was subsequently found guilty of the majority of the charges and severely reprimanded. He was given leniency based on his medical state and the fact he had spent 88 days under arrest by the conclusion of the court martial. A medical board was thereby convened whereby he was shown to be 'Not Fit' for further service, having suffered from shooting pains to the face, loss of eyesight and malaria as a result of wounds sustained on active service. Shows he was unconscious for 5 days from December 24th 1915 as a result of shell fire, loss of eyesight etc. These findings are dated 19th May 1920, a medical board which he failed to attend. Finally, it is reported in the Times newspaper 28th April 1920, George Wind was convicted in the Court of Petty Sessions, of stealing a motor car worth 700 gbp. His defence when caught was he had sustained head wounds/injury after crashing his plane during the war from a height of 5000 feet! He also claimed he had merely borrowed the car."

https://www.medalsgonemissing.com/AdvancedSearch/208.html

 

 

 Just found this article in the BN Archive...the medalsgonemissing (interesting site I hadn't come across before) article is slightly mistaken...Lt Wind wears the uniform so his wife doesn't recognise him!!...he is though still apparently lying to the court when he says he signed the register in his wife's name of Dalton, I can find no UK marriages for Wind/Dalton, it is possible they married abroad but my feeling is that Lt Wind is a Walter Mitty character who makes it up as he goes along, he'd probably booked the room for a naughty liaison, and didn't want to use his own name and uniform in case the dud cheque's (there were several) issue came to light.

   I found a GS Wind joining the Merchant Navy in 1910 so perhaps it was that basic uniform, slightly embellished that he wore to the hotel.

[HolymoleyRE]

Wonder what surprises his KOYLI Officer file might reveal. 

 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C1096987

Edited 10 August , 2019 by HolymoleyRE

[PRC]

“but while going to the train he discovered he had put on the cap of the R.N.R., which he belonged to before the war”

 

“With one exception the buttons were of the mercantile marine, and the rank on the arm was that of a second mate in the merchant service”

 

Checking the National Archive, no obvious Royal Naval Reserve Officer with the surname Wind, Dalton or Moore.

 

His birth was registered in the Maidstone District of Kent in the January to March quarter of 1895 so it is unlikely the only officer with the first names George Stephen was him – George Stephen Higgins joins as a Midshipman in 1902.

 

When it comes to Royal Naval Reserve ratings there is no obvious match for Wind, Dalton or Moore.

 

There appear to be two ratings born Maidstone in 1895 and none in 1897. (The candidates for George Stephen Wind identified from the 1939 National gave dates of birth of 09/02/1895 and 09/02/1897)

– a Frederick Stone born 19/07/1895, but that individual turns up on the birth, 1901 and 1911 censuses;

- an Ernest Thomas Bowes born 14/04/1895. There is an Ernest Thomas Bowes born Kent in the right quarter of 1895, and a likely match on the 1901 and 1911 census, (born Eccles, Kent)..

A search of all the RNR ratings who were born Maidstone doesn't bring up any likely first name candidates - most are also too old or too young.

 

A final search was to look for an officer or a rating with his mothers' maiden name of Spurgin but that drew a blank.

 

Of course there are always more checks that could be done, and if he joined the Merchant Navy in 1910 he could also have signed up to the Royal Naval Reserve, but for me he remains elusive.

 

Peter

Edited 10 August , 2019 by PRC
Typo

[helpjpl]

Far from being a Jack the lad/Walter Mitty fantasist who suffered from amnesia (how convenient) I think it more likely that George S Wind was a serial manipulator/con man/fraudster and thief who adopted false identities when he was up to no good. Remember, we only get to hear about his wrongdoings when he was caught and it's likely he left a trail of unreported victims in his wake.

 

At the time of his offence as 'Lt Dalton RN'  George Wind was newly married to Beatrice, nee Bown, who applied for a divorce three years later in 1919. There could be interesting information in that file - #17 . Unfortunately, it can't be viewed on ancestry as the cut off point is 1918.

Engineer-Lieutenant-Commander WA Bury RN stated that he was at the Regent's Palace Hotel, London, on the night of 12th August when he saw the prisoner walk in. It seemed that his uniform did not look correct, and he did not carry himself as an officer would:

Merchant Navy - Indentured Apprentices

 

False identity No. 1:   Lt Dalton RN                              

False identity No. 2:   Lt Jack Ernest Moore, Machine Gun Corps, ???  Any court appearances in the press under that name?

 

I agree that Wind's KOYLI file at the NA may be worth a look - #23. (Sorry, I'm not volunteering - I live 225 miles away)

 

JP