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The attribution to the photograph has his name written on the rear in pencil and has always been kept with the service issue bibles, my family research on Pointon is up to date and goes back to the 1500's and all validated so happy on that score. Several William Pointon's from 1731 to 1902 and a William Stubbs Pointon MM but I know about him. I think given the comments re Joseph Woolley it may be WP circa 1900 and that would be the inter war years. Thank you all for your kind help it is very much appreciated, its a conundrum and will have to keep reviewing and digging and will advise of any further info.

Keith

Given that you know William Pointon's service number was 5040377 after 1920, I would have a chat with the MOD, who are very likely to retain any extant papers for him, had he been serving with a regiment that had been part of the Household Division, it would have been a simple matter of asking the particular regiment concerned, rather than the MOD, but, he was not.
As I mentioned before, both numbers are post Anglo Boer War and even just looking at the first, I think you will find that the man in the photograph, which must be prior to AO292 and the man in question are actually two completely different people.

Keith.Bates wrote: The attribution to the photograph has his name written on the rear in pencil and has always been kept with the service issue bibles, my family research on Pointon is up to date and goes back to the 1500's and all validated so happy on that score. Several William Pointon's from 1731 to 1902 and a William Stubbs Pointon MM but I know about him. I think given the comments re Joseph Woolley it may be WP circa 1900 and that would be the inter war years. Thank you all for your kind help it is very much appreciated, its a conundrum and will have to keep reviewing and digging and will advise of any further info.

Keith

Thanks Frank, interesting I am looking then at WP born c1850 (gg grandfather) or his son c1879 for the photograph. I will pursue the MOD as I think that will be WP c1902 and I will keep digging thanks.

IF the photograph of the N.Staff.R. soldier in discussion is of a Pointon, then a name not so far brought to notice is
FRED POINTON born 1q of 1880, son of George P and Mary Mountford
The medal rolls on Ancestry will cause confusion, but his Army papers under number 5679 are quite clear that he was awarded a 3 clasp QSA and 2 clasp KSA.
This is the only possible Pointon that I can find to fit the photograph.

Further confusion exists in Ancestry Family Trees where FRED (his given name on birth record) has grown into FREDERICK TURNER POINTON.

search.findmypast.co.uk/record?id=gbm%2f...wo97%2f5701%2f989368

Pete

I said I would give you an update, I am happy now that I am dealing with "3£ different people, the bibles are of 2 different W Pointon not attributed to the ABW. I revisited the photo as it is some years since I opened the back up which is marked Hanley, in Stoke on Trent, Staffs, not a persons name as I previously thought. I have researched some older ABW Staffordshire Regiment photographs and the uniform design and medals appear the same, I have two brothers from my side of the family who are not on the census during the period in time. I think they are 3164 Pte Samuel Bates (born 1862) records show 3 bars, Cape Colony, Johannesburg, and Orange Free State, and 6123 Pte Thomas Bates (born 1860), 3 bars Orange Free State, Transvaal, Cape Colony, 1901-1902 KSA medal, North Staffordshire Regiment. Thomas appears in Hanley in later census and Samuel in another area of the city. The photograph shows 3 bars on the left medal and 2 (1901-1902) on the right. In hindsight I feel he does resemble my side of the family. I will now try and attribute some further provenance to the names and get back to you.