Mayatt man could his identity have been stolen?

[Guest Debra]

I have a Rupert Mayatt whose birth certificate states he was born Snodland on the 21/4/1900 the only man to be born with this name. I have downloaded from documents online the medal card for Rupert Mayatt which states he was with the Machine Gun Corps 10907 and he also served with Royal West Kent Regiment 11142 -no dates he served with them mentioned as far as I can see.

I know that Rupert was killed in action aboard the HMS Calgarian [sunk by a U boat off the coast of Rathlin Island in 1918]. I have this from the CWGC site. The CWGC has him as a Trimmer 947238, H.M.S. "Calgarian.", Mercantile Marine Reserve who died age 17 on 01 March 1918 Grandson of Mrs. E. E. Mayatt, of No. 4 Flat, Waghorn Rd., Snodland, Rochester, Kent. This is correct so I know he is my man. His age was correct at death so the Mercantile Marine must have DOB correctly recorded.

However the Medal card lists him as deceased not killed in action or died of wounds, but just deceased. He recieved the British Medal and the Victory medal. I also downloaded the seaman's service record for him.

Name Mayatt, Rupert

Official Number: J64995

Place of Birth: Snodland, Kent

which state he was born 26/12/1898 [not correct date of birth -I understand many men did lie about age to get into the service] born Snodland Kent [correct place of birth]. The top of the form is stamped formerly R.N.V.R. Then under date and period of engagements it says 15/1/1917 hostilities. Pembroke 10/4/1917- 19/4/1917 30 days detention, 20/5/1917-21/5/1917 [abscence] RUN. Character Fair. No death is recorded on this record. He is recorded as an ordinary seaman. There are no further entries to this record. It ends with the [absence] RUN message which I assume means they never got him back.

My question is how does the same man serve with the Machine Gun Corps 10907 and also serve with Royal West Kent Regiment 11142 and also die as a Trimmer aboard the Calgarian as Mercantile Marine Reserve yet also be formerly of the R.N.V.R ? Could another man have assumed his identity? It seems odd that he has served with 3 different unit's [4 if you include RNVR] in such a short time yet other than the word deceased on his medal card it makes no mention of his service with the Mercantile Marine. He was also only 17 years old. How does he train for 3 seperate units and serve time with them all, all before dying at age 17?

Can anyone provide me with the MAYATT details from the Soldiers of Great War CD please to see if we can shed some light on this please? He is the only Rupert Mayatt there was. Mayatt is a very rare name. All the men on the CWCG site are related.

Thank you to anyone who can shed some light on this. I would be happy to send a copy of the documents for you to look at.

Cheers

Debra In Oz

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

I would suggest that the Rupert Mayatt in the MGC,could be another Rupert Mayatt,possible from outside the area the 1901 Census covered[ireland/Scotland,The Colonies?] or may just have been away/abroad @ the time the census was taken,the only way to be sure would be to try to get his MGC Medal Roll Pages*[From MiC Code references]/Service Record if it survives.

It could be possible that someone who knew him used his name,as an Alias, to enlist to avoid being traced by relatives,especially if he too was under age,Also I note from his RNVR Record that he is recorded "Run",this could well have meant he had Deserted,especially considering the Dates you give,perhaps he then joined the RWK[being posted to the MGC] & having decided he didnt like it Ran off to the Mercantile Marine{Have you searched the Church of Latter Day Saints Genealogy Site for Rupert Mayatts?CLDS Family Research Center

*The Medal roll Pages for his MGC Service may help as they could give information not included on the Index Card

[Stephen Nulty]

The 1901 census has one Rupert E Myatt (not MAYATT), aged 8 and living in Fulford, Staffordshire.

Perhaps a typo somewhere along the line?

[Guest Debra]

Many thanks to both of you for your replies. This has been so confusing for me. I am the granddaughter of Nellie Mayatt and have been tracing the Mayatt family history for 6 years. I have searched the St Catherine House Indexes from 1837 through to 1950 and have every Mayatt birth, death and marriage recorded. I am positive therefore there are no further Rupert MAYATT born at any time.

However, Rupert Myatt could be a possibility. But if he was born Staffordshire, how did he come to serve with the Kent regiments? I may add, other Mayatt also served with these same regiments at the same time of his service [William, Leonard, Alexander and Harry] which is why I did not think it unusual for Rupert to also have served with the same unit, and therefore him being the same man.

I have just had a friend take a look at his seamans record. There is a stamp on it at the top of the page formerly RNVR indicating he has also served with the Royal Navy Volunteers. He says the record is a naval record and Pembroke is the naval base at Chatham. He also confirms he did a runner and it does not look like they got him back.

The Seamans record clearly states he was born Snodland. I know too, he certainly died aboard the Calgarian so he was on the ship at the time of his death in 1918. As the seamans records, record his service from 15/1/1917 and he died March of 1918, his service with the other units must have taken place in 1915 or 1916 when he would have been 15 or 16 years old or as you suggest between his RUN date of 21/5/1917 but before his death in March of 1918. His occupation at the time he entered the navy was builders labourer suggesting he did not transfer from another unit.

I am wondering now if he joined the Kent units first as a 15 or 16 year old only to have his age discovered so was discharged. He then joined RNVR followed by the Navy. After doing a runner from the navy he joined the Mercantile Marine.He was definitely in the Merchant service at the time of his death. I have been advised this was not a part of the Navy as such and they did not wear uniforms unless you were officer status.

The medal index card states Victory Medal MCG/101 B 7 page 663; British Medal ditto. There is a number in the bottom left corner of the card 13 with a slash w?/22

Then under remarks it has deceased and about half way down is a notation I can't read. I think it says BWTY MWSE? CRV 446/Bd 6/5/22 then NW/3/11196

There is then an asterisk underneath with NW/3/11196 written again but larger this time. I am told the 13/22 means the paper work for his medal was not completed untill 1922. Would there not have been mention if he was discharged?

Any idea what the rest means ?

Would the Soldiers of the Great War Cd record Rupert and when and where he enlisted ? How can I search the records you suggest ? I am in Australia can it be done online?

Thank you both for your time. Your input is greatly is appreciated and I would love to solve this puzzle.

Cheers

Debra In oz.

[Guest Debra]

Hi Debra

With the Service Number of 10907, Rupert Mayatt would have joined/transferred to the Machine Gun Corps in January/February 1916. Going by your birth certificate this would have made him only 15 years 9/10 months old on joining the MGC.

He is not on the SDGW CD as he was not in the Army at the time of his death.

Steve

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Many thanks Steve for your input and also looking up the war CD.

This at least answers the question of when he served with the Kent units. It was clearly before he joined the navy on 15/1/1917. So sometime between Feb 1916 and Jan 1917 he must have been discharged or done a runner from the Army. On entering the Navy he was described as a builders labourer and the paper is also stamped he was formerly RNVR. The navy papers also mention he has a scar on his left thigh. As he served with other Mayatt men who would have known his true age I wonder if he could have been wounded and they gave him up to authorities to save him from further injury. Certainly he did a runner from the navy on the 21/5/1917 and at some point after joined the Mercantile Marine going down with his ship after it was torpeodoed by a U boat off the coast of Ireland in March of 1918. Why then would his decease have been recorded on his medal card if he was not serving with them at the time of his death? Any ideas on that one?

Thanks very much, you have helped solve part of the time line problem for me.

Cheers

Debra In oz

[Guest Debra]

Hi Debra

There are only 5 Mayatts on the SDGW CD. Details on SD are as follows :-

S/27068 Rifleman Charles William Mayatt 13th Battalion (the Prince Consort's Own) Rifle Brigade

born  Lewisham, Kent

enlisted Lewisham

residence Catford, Kent

killed in action  France & Flanders 21/10/1917

Formerly R/24231 KRRC

G/903 Private Henry William Mayatt 1st Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

b  Snodland, Maidstone Kent

e  Maidstone

died of wounds  France & Flanders 06/07/1917

592953 Rifleman Joseph Henry Mayatt  London Regiment, 18th (County of London) Battalion (London Irish Rifles)

b  Snodland

e  Sittingbourne

r  Sittingbourne

killed in action  Egypt 23/12/1917

Formerly 80766 RAMC

G/361 Corporal Leonard Mayatt 7th Battalion Queen's Own (Royal West Kent Regiment)

b  Halling, Kent

e  Maidstone, Kent

killed in action France & Flanders 21/03/1918

L/8315 Private Walter Mayatt 2nd Battalion The Buffs (East Kent Regiment)

b  Snodland

e  Chatham, Kent

r  Snodland

died of wounds  France & Flanders 22/02/1915

Alfred John Mayatt is probably not on the CD as he died after the War had ended and SDGW starts to tail off with it's details after November 1918.

Rupert is not on SDGW as he was not in the Army at the time of his death

Steve

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Thanks for this. Henry William Mayatt, Walter Mayatt and Alfred John Mayatt were all brothers. Henry went by the name of Harry. Their father died in 1913, so a heavy loss was felt by the whole family. The other men named were their cousins.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, I greatly appreciate it.

Cheers

Debra In Oz

[Guest Debra]

Hi Steve,

That appears to be a site I have not come across the War graves site. I have a picture of his actual grave. He died at Newberry London and is buried at the All Saints Parish Church cemetery in Snodland. I note they will soon have a link to Snodland Cemetery so I will check back with the site.

Thanks again Steve, I will have a look around that site and see if I can find some of my other men I do not have a picture of.

Cheers

Debra In Oz