Soldier number ID

[Barry Hayter]

I assumed the number on a medal is unique to that soldier .... however just found a couple of medals I never knew my father had and they match the number of somebody else.

HarryBettsMCDCM notes the following in a different post;

14609 Cox.H.J. Wire Cutter.

Whereas the medal I have is (I'm pretty sure unless I haven't read it correctly ... possible)

14609 PTE B RICHARDSON W RID

Any chance of duplication or should I just recheck the medal?!!

Thanks.

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

Numbers in this period were by no means unique,"Service Numbers" that were retained by a service person & were unique were not initiated until the 1920s,Each Regiment would have used Numbers of varying stages from 1~Upwards,in each Battalion,from the 1880s onwards,TF Regiments similarly for each Battalion from 1908,so theoretically there could be a large number of men in the same Regiment,with the same number.[Time however would have excluded many of the lower numbers in Regular regiments from the scenario]

The problem with repeated numbers was realised in respect of the TF & in 1916 a series of 6 Figure numbers was brought about,which eased the problem to some extent.

A Medal Index Search using just a Number will often give many returns.

[Barry Hayter]

Well there you go then ... another fact learnt and more confusion added!

Thanks for the reply.