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The use of an alias was not uncommon. The reasons for using an alias could be anything ranging from 'running away from family responsibilities' to a soldier that deserted then decided to re-enlist in a different regiment without accepting the punishment for his desertion.

Re his story on being awarded a DCM -- it wouldn't be the first time that a man exaggerated his war experience and awarded a gallantry medal to himself. (thankfully not many!) This could explain his story about pawning the medals.

After reading more I see that, but my puzzlement remains. Being eighty years old, I knew the man, a wreck of a person after gassing in WWI, or so it was said, his wife dying 15 years prior to his demise, potentially from looking after him.

Jack was the only living son of Irish immigrants when WWI began, and previously I had found his attestations to join the Army, but nothing other, so gave up. When suddenly finding a "Rollie" Charrington  with matching personality, my interest was rekindled, but now I can't find those attestations to perhaps discover why he joined with an alias.   

My father's side of the family was larger with virtually all seemingly involved one way or another in wars, and sadly several were lost. My father was in Atlantic Convoys with MN and survived, his elder brother in Arctic Convoy with RN and lost. Most said little or nothing about what happened and silence from those lost.

AllanUK, thanks for that.

What reasons might there have been to have an alias? It also suggests his story could have been fictious. Maybe this matter is best left unanswered.

He was my maternal grandfather, 23/09/1896 to 14/04/1965, married Mary Ann Falconer Berston on 8th May, 1920, their home in the East End of Sunderland. My father said he was awarded the DCM for
carrying an officer named Charrington from No-mans Land. During his service he was gassed and made Lance Corporal. He pawned his medals and had no record of their award.

Research found little of merit and was ended, until recent reading uncovered a "Rollie" (Harold Victor Spencer) Charrington during WWII in Greece and Crete, who was awarded the MC in France and fitting the person my grandfather had described. This spurred another attempt which has found nothing more, but wonder if anyone might have something that I might add to my grandfather's profile?

One leg of my family tree links back to Thomas Stapylton who lived and died in Leyburn. If his father was a Leonard Stapylton, he was left £20 in his will. From Thomas's will, he had become quite a wealthy man when he died in 1805 aged 72. From that I feel some history of this family might well have been somewhere recorded.

His wife, Margaret Hutchinson provided 4 surviving children, Thomas, Ralph, Margery and Martha. Thomas's will made monetary awards to other children, but his property assets were shared amongst his lawful issues, and in turn to pass to their lawful children. Neither boy married, so their shares under the will would pass to the girls and their children.

Margery married Charles Sanderson, produced 4 children, none of whom married. The census did show two grandchildren.
Martha married Matthew Dobson to have 6 children surviving into adulthood, three of those married and had children.

In 1845, a year after brother Ralph died, Mr & Mrs Sandersons filed a bill against Mr & Mrs Dobson, their children and the heir at law of the surviving executors of the will of brother Thomas Stapylton who had died in 1808. It appeared some of Thomas's property was unaccounted, and was eventually judged it should have been equally divided between Margery and Martha.

In 1861 Margery died and Martha in 1865, but the story of the wills didn't end there. In 1868, Martha's eldest son Ralph Stapylton Dobson, was accused by elder sister, then Margaret Hannah Bowness, of stealing his mother's will. This case was Known as Bowness v Dobson.

Could anyone advise or kindly point to any publication that might provide a more full account of this family than I have so far uncovered?