Private Thomas Henry Hamilton

 

Thomas Henry (Harry) Hamilton was born on 26 March 1881 at Derryannon, Dungannon, County Tyrone, the second of nine children of carpenter (later contractor and clerk of works) Samuel Hamilton and his wife Jane (née Davidson). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Perry Street, Dungannon, with his parents and three of his four surviving siblings, and working as a joiner.

Hamilton enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron between 31 October and 9 November 1914 (No.UD/109 – later Corps of Dragoons No.21243). The Strabane Weekly News of 14 November reported that:

A further detachment of recruits from Dungannon U.V.F. left Dungannon to join the Inniskilling Dragoons – namely, Messrs. William McKeown, Harry Hamilton, Fred Noble, and John Meenagh (Miltown). Altogether 225 members of the Dungannon U.V.F. Battalion have now volunteered for active service, as compared with only 19 Nationalists from the same district.

On 6 October 1915 Hamilton embarked for France with his squadron, which was then serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division.

Early in 1916 Hamilton was badly injured, as reported in the Northern Whig of 28 March:

Trooper Harry Hamilton, Inniskilling Dragoons (Ulster Division Service Squadron), second son of Mr. Samuel Hamilton, Perry Street, Dungannon, has met with a very severe accident in France. While proceeding at a gallop his horse fell into a disused trench, and before the other troopers could pull up four of them, with their horses, crashed in on top of him. It was with utmost difficulty that Trooper Hamilton was extricated, and he is now in hospital suffering from severe injuries to the head and legs. Trooper Hamilton before volunteering was an active member of the Dungannon Battalion U.V.F. and the Dungannon Brass Band.

The Mid-Ulster Mail of 22 April reported that Hamilton had been home during the week.

When he had sufficiently recovered it is probable that he returned to duty at the Inniskilling's reserve base at Enniskillen. On 21 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve. He was granted a pension, due to dysentery, bronchitis and DAH (disordered action of the heart), which were attributed to his military service, his level of disability assessed at 30 per cent in January 1921.

Hamilton died in the Omagh County Hospital from dysentery and nephritis on 21 September 1921.

 

This page last updated 11 March 2023.