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QSA Imperial Hospital Corps

QSA, 2 bars, SA 1901, SA 1902, Orderly William Cram McPherson, Imperial Hospital Corps. An American Immigrant in New York City. Underage who lied about his age was 16 in war.

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Origin: United Kingdom
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Queen’s South Africa, 2 bars, SA 1901, SA 1902, Orderly William Cram McPherson, Imperial Hospital Corps. 

 

Officially impressed: “Orderly W.C. McPherson Imp: Hpl: Corps.”

 

Enlistment books and his enrolment forms for the unit recall that William McPherson signed up on 11th July 1901 and was discharged after the end of his 6 month contract on 24th January 1902.

 

William Cram McPherson was born in Scotland during 1883.

 

He was 18 years 1 month old when he first enlisted into the Imperial Hospital Corps at Maritzburg on 11th July 1901.

 

He was an Ironplater by profession, looks to have joined up as soon as he turned 18.

 

However upon further inspection he was actually 16 years old, as later records recall a birth day of 8th June 1885, so his age was accurate regarding months but he nudged himself up to 18 to sign up in the war.

 

It is unclear why such a young man was in South Africa at just 16 in the middle of the war, he later joined the Merchant Navy at ended up in New York City in 1904 so he looks to have left home at 16 to make his own life.

 

Confirmed on the medal roll, unusual to see full entitlement as just the two dated clasps.

 

It took a lot longer than usual to issue medals to the Imperial Hospital Corps, the roll only being written at Cape Town on 8th February 1905.

 

Due to this they could not seem to find Mr McPherson anywhere, the roll noting that medals were returned back “Medal and 2 clasps not issued 12/4/07, no address.”

 

They did however managed to track down his father at least 13 years later the roll recording “Medal and 2 clasps issued 24-10-18 to Father Mr J. McPherson, 21 Afton Place, Calder Street, Motherwell.” (Probably from his unit enlistment records as he had gone off to join the Merchant Navy)

 

The reason they could not find him as he was a bit of a world traveller and once the war was over he left the country before the medal rolls could even be written and landed in America.

 

He is seen on his USA “Declaration for Intention for Citizenship”

 

“William Cram Mcpherson, 32 years old, A Steward, born in Grangemouth, Scotland, on the 8th June 1885 I now reside at 25 South Street in New York City, NY, I emigrated to the USA from Southampton on the Vessel Philadelphia, my last foreign residence was Motherwell, Scotland, I am not married.

It is my bona fide intention to renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, and particularly to King George V, King of Great Britain and Ireland of whom I am now a subject. 

I arrived at the Port of New York in the State of NY on or about April 1904.

I am not an anarchist, I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy, and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to permanently reside therein, SO HELP ME GOD.”

 

He signed his declaration at the Officer of the Clerk of New York City on 12th November 1917, from that day he was now an American.

 

He became a Steward in the Merchant Navy which seems to be how he ended up there, and has a WW1 Draft Card for the US Army whilst living at 25 South Street, New York City during WW1.

 

A Ships Crew record from 1917 listed him as a Waiter on the Limon who after being “Engaged on 12th October at Havana Cuba” was Paid Off in Boston, Massachusetts. Looks like he chose to remain in America.

 

He had to go through a petition in the courts during 1922 to secure his citizenship.

 

“I hereby declare, an oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate state and particularly to GEORGE V KING OF GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND of whom I have heretofore been a subject; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same.”

 

Upon taking the Oath of Allegiance he was “admitted to become a citizen of the United States of America on 5th June 1922”