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I've come across several instances of men seeing active service in South Africa with a different surname to the one they used at home. Their local newspapers seemed to be quite open about the practice, so there weren't always ulterior motives for the name changes, and it's likely that their mother re-marrying meant the soldier had a choice of using his birth father's or stepfather's surname.

Here's one from Adlington, a village a few miles south of Chorley, Lancashire - Peter Maddock served as P. Lee, King's Royal Rifle Corps.
...."Yesterday week on board the steamship Lismore Castle at the Cape, among the deaths recorded from enteric fever was that of 1015 Private P. Lee, of the 1st King's Royal Rifles, and who was 23 years of age. He formerly lived at Adlington, and his sisters now reside with their uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. F. Garstang, 8, Victoria-street, Chorley. The deceased, whose proper name was Peter Maddock, joined the army two years ago, and went through the campaign in Natal under General White. He took part in the battle of Talana Hill, the famous night march of General Yule, and also in the siege of Ladysmith."
Chorley Guardian, Saturday 7th April 1900

However, there are exceptions where name changes aren't as easily explained away. The Leigh Chronicle, in listing the names of men from Tyldesley who were "either at the front or on their way there," reported that Henry Lawton was listed as John Dawson, 1st West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own). I can see a clerical error possibly being responsible for Lawton becoming Dawson, but why Henry to John?
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Good Morning Berenice......

Have to go through my collection for insurance purposes and found this man, I don't know if he served under another name but there has been an error or change in the name but it is a big difference......

McKINNEL, (on Medal) S. C. (Stanley Colin) (on Medal Roll McKennett)
REG. NO.: 23597
RANK: TROOPER
REGT: 38th CO., BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, 10th BN., IMP. YEOMANRY

Mike

Hello Mike
Your man was definitely Mckinell / Mackinell
He lived in Northampton and was a carpenter by trade. He was discharged medically unfit and was attached to the 1st provisional Battalion/ 38th company I Y.
Looks like he signed his own name differently, using Mc and Mac.
I have included some papers for your archives.

Dave....

George Ernest Maurice NAYLOR served with the 5th Dragoon Guards under the name of “ALFRED BLACKBURN”.

Below is a Maltese cross watch fob, obverse with impressed lettering: "2.11.99 / G.E. NAYLOR / V.D.G. / 28.2.1900"; reverse: "SIEGE OF / LADYSMITH / P. OF L.T.S. [Piece of Long Tom Shell]". 24 x 28mm.



There is no record of a G.E. Naylor having served with the 5th Dragoon Guards during the Boer War. This is odd, as George Ernest Maurice Naylor’s WWI medical records clearly state that he served with that regiment through the Siege of Ladysmith, and that the hardships he had suffered during that time were to blame for his current poor health.

“Patient states that he has had cough, expectoration & shortness of breath since the S. African War. He was invalided out of the 5th Dragoon Guards in 1902 on account of bronchitis” (Discharge papers, 06/03/1916).

Bundled with Naylor’s service papers are the medical notes and attestation papers of an Alfred Blackburn, 5th Dragoon Guards. Looking into the backgrounds of these two soldiers, it soon becomes apparent that they are one and the same man. Both were born in Jellapahar, India; both had parents named James and Sarah Ann; both first enlisted on 09/05/1898; both had addresses in Kershaw Street, Laisterdyke, Bradford.

4593 Private Alfred BLACKBURN’s 1902 medical records state:
“Patient states that he has had very bad health for the past 18 months. He never properly recovered the siege of Ladysmith but did his duty with frequent admissions to Hospital up to October 1901. He then became so bad that he was admitted to General Hospital at Standerton, from which he states he was invalided home but only got as far as Howick when he was returned to Newcastle for further treatment & to await the departure of his regiment. He joined the regiment at Durban, proceeded to India and was admitted to Station Hospital Lucknow 15.5.02 with Debility. He is now debilitated and suffers from pains in the legs and groins. There is some enlargement of the lymphatic glands & the groin, cause of which is obscure. Patient states that he was kicked by a horse in Sept. 1900. He is unable to ride in consequence. Disease is the result of service and has not been aggravated by vice, intemperance or misconduct” (Medical Board Papers, 03/09/1902).

081916 Sergeant George E.M. NAYLORS's 1916 medical records state:
Patient states that he has had cough, expectoration & shortness of breath since the S. African War.
He was invalided out of the 5th Dragoon Guards in 1902 on account of bronchitis and was invalided home on Dec 2nd, 1915.
Patient states that his true age is 42. He complains of general weakness, cough, expectoration, all through the day, vomiting after the cough, shortness of breath, pain in left side of chest, palpitations on exertion in coughing.
On examination he has evidence of chronic bronchitis and his general condition is much reduced. Teeth are discoloured, some carious, many absent. He also complains of a sharp dragging pain just below the groin evidently resulting from the operation for varicose veins. (Director of Medical Services, Aldershot, 03/03/1916)

Why did George Naylor feel the need to enlist in the 5th Dragoon Guards under the assumed name of Alfred Blackburn in 1898? Privately, he continued to use the name Naylor, as is evidenced by the naming on the watch fob.

In 1898 he also deducted a year from his age, declaring that he was 20 years and 8 months old, when he was in fact 19 years and 8 months old.



Served WWI, Army Service Corps, 05/05/1915 – 18/03/1916 (Sergeant; discharged being no longer physically fit for War Service).



Sergt. Naylor's WWI discharge papers (18/03/1916) show two enlistment dates, the former being that for "Pte Blackburn".


WO97

Name: Alfred BLACKBURN
Number: 4593
Born: Jellapahar, India
Age on 09/05/1898: 20 years, 8 months [in fact 19 years, 8 months]
Therefore born: Sept 1877 [in fact born 13/09/1878]

Calling: Iron Turner

Address: 48 Kershaw Street, Laister Dyke, Bradford

Transferred from: n/a

Corps: 5th Dragoon Guards

Attested, Leeds, for 12 yrs’ service: 09/05/1898
Discharged (unfit for further duty): 20/01/1903

Home: 09/05/1898 to 21/02/1899
India: 22/02/1899 to 11/10/1899
South Africa: 12/10/1899 to 05/04/1902
India: 06/04/1902 to 26/11/1902
Home: 27/11/1902 to 21/01/1903

Next of kin: James and Sarah Ann [NAYLOR] (mother & father), 48 Kershaw Street, Laister Dyke, Bradford

Medals: QSA with clasps for Orange Free State, Transvaal & Defence of Ladysmith; KSA with clasps for South Africa 1901 & South Africa 1902


1878 Birth

George Ernest Morris NAYLOR
Born: 14/09/1878 [later records give 13/09/1878]
Place: Jellapahar, India
Father: Gunner James NAYLOR, Royal Artillery
Mother: Sarah Ann NAYLOR


1901 Census

ON ACTIVE SERVICE
Father: James NAYLOR, 67 (General Labourer)
Mother: Sarah A. NAYLOR, 64
Address: 46 [48] Kershaw Street, Laister Dyke, Bradford
Number of other siblings at this address: NONE




..

J. Sunderland served as 3077 Private Richardson, Royal Scots Fusiliers.
. .
"No. 3,077 Private J. Sunderland, who enlisted in the name of Richardson, of the 2nd Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers, who was reported as missing in the casualty list of the battle of Colenso, has at last turned up in Pretoria, and he has sent a letter, direct from that place to his mother, who resides in Feilden-street, Blackburn. The letter is as follows:—Pretoria, Dec. 19th, 1899. Dear Mother,—I write these few lines to you, hoping to find you in good health, as it leaves me at present only I am a prisoner in Pretoria. There were about 109 of us taken altogether. We went into action about 5 20 on Friday morning, the 15th of December, and we were under fire till 5 10 at night. Once we got into action we advanced about 200 yards, and then we could get no further. All the officers of my company were captured, as well as ourselves. The Boers, or Dutchmen, poured volley after volley into us, and they brought our gunners over one after the other, and sometimes two at once. You must not be uneasy about me, as I am being treated very well, and so are all the remainder of us. We get very good food, and we have nothing to do. In fact we are treated far better than we were in our own regiment. My left-hand man was killed shortly after firing began. We lost about 11 of our company, but I don't know how the other companies went on. I think that is all at present, as we can't get to know anything about the war here. I hope to be home again very soon. So cheer up."
The Blackburn Times, Saturday 24th March 1900

I have recently found an article of a supposed ex-soldier who has gone onto using an alias whilst back in England and then commenced to impersonate as a servant to an officer to steal, before presenting himself as a recruit at a later date to receive a full uniform of the 5th Lancers. Then with the use of the uniform and awarding himself a Victoria Cross (VC) he has portrayed himself as a war hero to gain people's confidence.




I have also been able to locate a 4668 Private T. Powell on the Campaign Medal and Award Roll (WO100/113) for the 5th Dragoon Guards, which was signed off on the 2nd April 1902, see below. This Private is listed as invalided and has received no clasps.


I'm hoping maybe that Dave can use his research skills and FMP subscription to see if he can locate online a service record for this soldier Thomas Powell, as there has been so many twists and turns in this story that I would be surprised if this Private T. Powell was actually his correct name on enlistment, let alone the person in the news article.

Trev