George MURRAY/James CLARKE, b c1879 Glasgow

[fullscott]

This man "served" as JAMES CLARKE, and so is "mis-filed" in the WW1 Service Records (WO 363):

George MURRAY, enlisted (as CLARKE) in December 1915, claiming to be a Tailor, declared age 38y 5m, born Glasgow, home address 63 Mulberry St, Hulme, Manchester (where the occupier was a widow - Mrs Mary GRIFFIN- perhaps the landlady?). He was called up to the East Lancs Regiment (no. 39695) on 27 December 1917 - and promptly deserted.

Arrested by the Civil Police in May 1918 he was committed to 6 months' hard labour for various offences (theft, loitering, wearing a discharge badge) - the Police are the ONLY authority to refer to him as MURRAY.
On his release he was returned to the Army, where he was court-martialled and sent to serve in the Labour Company (no. 676666) from 2 November 1918 until discharge in July 1919. Home address: 4 New Church Place, Mabgate, Leeds.

Anc****y, CLA, pages 145215 to 145247

[Lesley Robertson]

Sadly, GM is a common name - there's 7 of the right sort of age & birthplace in the 1881, and 15 births on Scotlands People..