CWGC puzzle

[Desmond7]

OK … here’s the deal … look at the three men below.

McCART (Ross)John Rfn. 12th R I Rifles. KIA 1st July 1916. Service no. 818. Aged 20, son of George and Margaret, 14 Castle Street, Ballymena. Comm. Thiepval Memorial.

And CWGC

Name: McCART, JOHN

Initials: J

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Rifleman

Regiment: Royal Irish Rifles

Unit Text: 12th Bn.

Age: 20

Date of Death: 01/07/1916

Service No: 818

Additional information: Son of George and Margaret McCart, of Castle St., Ballymena, Co. Antrim.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Pier and Face 15 A and 15 B.

ROSS George Lcpl. 62nd Btn. Machine Gun Corps. Attached Royal Irish Rifles Died of wounds 21st July 1918. Service No. 17896. Aged 26, Son of George and Margaret Ross, Castle Street, Ballymena. Brother of John McCart Ross KIA 1/7/16. Buried in St. Imoges Churchyard, France.

And CWGC

Name: ROSS

Initials: G

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: Machine Gun Corps (Infantry)

Unit Text: 62nd Bn.

Age: 26

Date of Death: 21/07/1918

Service No: 17896

Additional information: Son of George and Margaret Ross, of Castle St., Ballymena.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: C. 13.

Cemetery: ST. IMOGES CHURCHYARD

WE KNOW that 818 Rfn. John McCart Ross (as his name appears in local newspaper obits) is a brother of 12733 Lcpl. George Ross.

We KNOW they have the same MOTHER ‘Margaret’ (Maggie?).Why the surname change? Did Margaret marry twice .. both times to a ‘George’?

Note that in John’s case the parental name is given as George and Margaret McCART.

BUT in George’s case the parental name is given as George and Margaret ROSS.

Can anyone come up with an explanation for this one?

And to throw some more puzzles into the scenario .. take a look at who this guy was married to ….

McCARTNEY Andrew Pte. 8th Welsh Regt. Died 30th September 1915. Service no. 12733. Aged 50 born Ballymena, son of Robert McCartney, husband of Maggie Ross McCartney Buried Alexandria War Cem.

[bmac]

OK, I'll take a guess:

George Ross Snr died and she remarried George McCart and named her younger son John Ross in memory of her first husband. George Jnr and John Ross are, therefore, half brothers.

Close?

[Desmond7]

B ... I wish I had the answer!

Though you're thinking along my lines.

I just stumbled across the last guy while checking things the other night and I wondered if Andrew McCartney was Maggie Ross/McCart's first husband? But your solution seems to carry more weight.

[squirrel]

I think you just proved that sometimes researching the families is more difficult than researching the soldiers.

[Desmond7]

Reaching for nurofen now.

I need a big piece of paper and lots of crayons ....

[BeppoSapone]

Was the soldiers mothers husband using his mothers maiden name, born out of wedlock? Then his true fathers name at a later date?

[gem22]

Desmond

The possibility that John's parents weren't married at the time of his birth, and possibly at the time of his enlistment, is one that crossed my mind.

These things did happen. I have documentary evidence of a man who enlisted in the British Army, in 1937, under his father's name even though his parents didn't marry until 1952.

You probably need to get a look at birth and marriage certificates for the people concerned if you ever want to satisfy your curiosity.

Garth

[Desmond7]

I may be able to solve this with a phone call ... I'll be back.