Also, Bryan, thanks very much for posting all that information from David Scott-Taylor's service record. As you indicate, it is definitely the same David Scott-Taylor on the Medal Records and on the 1911 the census records. It also seems to be the same guy who was passed his first exam at University of Edinburgh in 1894, wouldn't you agree?
That said, I am somewhat confused as to why you still think this might not be Ian's grandfather. You wrote,
"There are other David S Taylors out there as well as many David Taylors. And names may be misspelled and dates and ages may be wrong. It's still open in my mind." While it is true that there are other David S. Taylors and David Taylors, we aren't looking for just any David Taylor. We are looking for a David Scott-Taylor who matches the general description of Ian's grandfather. Here are some details about the David Scott-Taylor we seek:
1.
Name: He went by David "Scott-Taylor" with the Scott-Taylor hyphenated, which much rarer than "Taylor."
2.
Age: He was born sometime in the mid 1870's.
3.
Residence as a child: Ian and Phil have refused to tell us where he lived once he came from India, but the diary entries indicate that his family lived somewhere around Dundee. (His train journey to from "home" are to/from Dundee.)
4.
Medical Education: Phil and Ian have said he studied Medicine at the University of Edinburgh in the mid-1890's. Phil has even argued that the person listed as "David Scott Taylor, Alyth" in the 1894 Edinburgh Medical Journal was most definitely Ian's grandfather, although I imagine he'd like to take that back about now.
5.
Service in Royal Navy: Phil and Ian have said that his grandfather enlisted in the "Royal Navy" after medical school.
6.
Service in Royal Army Medical Core. Phil and Ian have said that Ian's grandfather was discharged from the Royal Navy during WWI and became a commissioned officer the Royal Army Medical Core.
7.
Residence at his time of death. At the time of Ian's Grandfather death in 1933 he was living and working in the Chester area.
While Phil and Ian vehemently deny that the David Scott-Taylor we have found is Ian's grandfather, he seems to be a very good match.
1.
Name: The David Scott-Taylor we have found hyphenates his last name, just like Ian's grandfather.
2.
Age: The David Scott-Taylor we have found was born in or around 1877.
3.
Residence as a child: The David Scott-Taylor we have found listed himself as from Alyth, which 17 miles from Dundee, and listed his next of kin as from Dundee.
4.
Medical Education: The David Scott-Taylor we have found listed himself as a "medical student" when he enlisted, and "David Scott-Taylor, Alyth" passed his first exam toward "Triple Qualification" at Universlty of Edinburgh in 1894.
5.
Service in Royal Navy: The David Scott-Taylor we have found enlisted in a branch of the Royal Navy, the Royal Marine Light Infantry, in 1898.
6.
Service in Royal Army Medical Core. The David Scott-Taylor we have found was discharged from the Royal Navy and given a temporary commission in the Royal Army Medical Core in 1916.
7.
Residence at his time of death. The family of the David Scott-Taylor we have found seems to have relocated to the Chester area sometime before 1933. His first wife died in Nantwich (20 miles from Chester) in 1931. His son lived in Chester and had a granddaughter in Chester. His daughter lived (and died) in the Chester area.
This seems to be a very strong match to me. Do you really think there was a different David Scott-Taylor who also matches the description? That would be remarkable, wouldn't it?
I'd be happier if we could find a clear link between this DST and Ian.
I would too, and I think we will eventually. But in the interim probabilities have to play a role here, don't they? Doesn't it seem highly improbable that there would just happen to be another "David Scott-Taylor" who so closely matches so much of the description. Doesn't it seem even more improbable that, if there was another, that none of us can thus far find any evidence of his existence?
Of course, if Ian and Phil would answer even the most basic questions about Ian's grandfather, such as the names of his first wife and family members, the search would be a lot easier. We'd know for certain whether or not their story check out. But so far all they have been willing to say is that the David Scott-Taylor we have found
is most definitely not Ian's grandfather. Not much help really, unless of course they are wrong.
If it turns out the David Scott-Taylor we have found is Ian's grandfather, then I trust that even you will agree that their story is fiction.