Dear Keira, Thank you for your suggestions... however...James Cohen's life following discharge does not appear to have been a life spent avoiding either responsibility or authority, though I have to say, I had not thought about 'avoiding authority ' for the reason that you give & so ' maybe' for that one....& many thanks again for taking the time to respond. In later life, James became a Dr/Surgeon, Patented & promoted a prototype Tank ' The Devastator' to the highest levels [ Palmerston & the War Office]was ' a disciple of Robert Owen' who also helped James to promote the invention at large public meetings....fought a challenge to the Patent, was bankrupted, spent time in various Debtors prisons & still managed to end his days 'back at the top' ; it has also been suggested that his story could have been the inspiration for Charles Dickens writing Little Dorrit....the book was serialised during the time that James had a high public profile with his ' Debtors saga' 1855/7 The Service Record also shows James to have been a fine soldier & states this..'The Rifles' as I understand it, were taken from the best soldiers ... the SAS of their day. As I said , I know a lot about James's later life but * who was he*....I can't imagine that he would have made up Co*h*en aged 15 either ... Regards to all, Catherine Swansea/ Wales There are many reasons for soldiers not being promoted...... Keira, country Australia.