Talk:Harry Draper

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Candidate for identification?

Although there is (currently at least) no mention of him in the PFA's website Football and the First World War, I wonder if he MIGHT be the same as the only man of this exact name to die serving in WWI, Private Harry Draper, of the 1st Battalion KSLI, who died in Belgium in 1915 aged 27 - which possibly supports a birth year of 1887 that the player had. Link to CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/489531/harry-draper/#&gid=1&pid=2 although the family parental detail gives no home location.

The 1st were the regiment's Regular Army battalion when the war broke out previous year but by that stage they were taking in volunteers from outside Shropshire and transfers from other battalions or regiments. Factors that could rule him in or out, if they are found, are:

the entry he would also have in Soldiers Died In The Great War give his birthplace and (parenthesised) place of enlistment
if he is commemorated on a war memorial within Shropshire (which would denote he was from a Shropshire family or community and could be ruled out) or Chesterfield, Derbyshire - which could rule him in. The production of books during the past decade listing the names on war memorials could make looking this up more possible than previously.
any newspaper report of the death (in Shropshire, or in Derbyshire more likely).Cloptonson (talk) 08:23, 15 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Cloptonson: Not the same man, I think.

Soldiers Died In The Great War gives a Birmingham birth and Worcester enlistment for the KSLI soldier, and the 1911 Census lists a Harry Draper aged 26, also born in Birmingham, already serving with the KSLI in India. I'm guessing they're the same chap as each other, and somewhere along the line he lied about his age or a mistake (or guesswork) was made on his documents that resulted in the age discrepancy.

As to the footballer, the Football Association Registrations for 1910/11 season (it's a spreadsheet, click on "1910-11 transfers" tab) has H Draper moving from Birmingham to Merthyr Town in February 1911, and the 1911 Census lists a George Harry Draper aged 20 and born in Rotherham as a professional footballer boarding in Merthyr Tydfil.

Best not to place too much credence in the accuracy of footballer stubs sourced to books published before there was any "online", let alone relatively easy access to historical newspapers and other records. Missing years of death tend to imply the year of birth is wrong, and Wikipedia editors assuming that a RS listing a player's name implies that must be his full name doesn't help. Added to which, footballers also lied about their age. cheers, Struway2 (talk) 10:44, 15 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]

@Struway2:Thank you for decisively ruling him out as the player. The books you mention used by the stubs also predate the centenary years of the Great War which resulted in the abundance of publications on the war dead of many communities and counties now available for interrogation. I also take on board your point on not relying too closely on stated names.Cloptonson (talk) 12:38, 15 August 2022 (UTC)[reply]