Corporal Culvenor (Cubby) Gibson, BEM

 

 

Culvenor Gibson was born on 16 January 1898 at 52 London Street, Belfast,the first of nine children of iron shipwright Jonathan Gibson and his wife Margaret Jane (née Young). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Lough View Terrace, Belfast, with his parents and six of his siblings.

Gibson enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron between 14 and 21 November 1914 (No. UD/169 – later Corps of Dragoons No.21250). On 6 October 1915 he embarked for France with his squadron, which was then serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division.

In July 1916 Gibson was severely wounded during the Battle of the Somme. Evacuated to England, on 12 July he was admitted to the 2nd Southern General Hospital in Bristol. It is probable that, following his recovery, he returned to duty at the Inniskilling squadron's reserve depot at Castle Barracks, Enniskillen, remaining there for the duration of the war.

He was discharged on 14 December 1918, being 'surplus to military requirements, having suffered impairment since entry into the service' (paragraph 392 (xxv)(a), King's Regulations).

After the war Gibson served for many years in the Ulster Special Constabulary, attaining the rank of sub-district commandant. He also became a noted track-racing cyclist (see below). He was awarded a British Empire Medal (Civil Division) in the 1966 Queen's Birthday Honours.

Gibson died in hospital in Belfast on 1 August 1981 and was buried in the Roselawn Cemetery. The journal Ireland's Saturday Night reported that:

The death of Culvenor (Cubby) Gibson severs perhaps our lengthiest link with the past as maintained by distinguished old-timers. Cubby, whose earlier allegiance was, I understand, to Belfast CC, was also for a long time affiliated through Maryland Wheelers. He was their club time-keeper for a period and until recently regularly asssisted Tommy Taylor at Orangefield track. Cubby was 84 and a noted track racing exponent of his time. He represented Northern Ireland at the Empire Games in London in 1922.

 

Belfast News-Letter, 4 August 1924. The image inset shows Culvenor with his father.

 

First image, from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, Researcher at History Hub Ulster.

 

This page last updated 8 April 2023.