Lance Corporal William Frederick Noble

 

William Frederick (Fred) Noble was born on 9 March 1892 in Church Street, Dungannon, County Tyrone, the last of six children of butler Henry Noble and his wife Rebecca Anne (née Kyle). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Church Street with his parents and two of his siblings, and working as an ironmonger.

Noble enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron between 31 October and 9 November 1914 (No.UD/112). 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 he embarked for France with his squadron, which was then serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division.

In June 1916 the squadron was brought together with B and C Squadrons of the North Irish Horse to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps. In September 1917 the regiment was disbanded and its men were transferred to the infantry. By that time, however, Noble was no longer with the regiment. It is probable that he had returned to the Inniskillings reserve depot at Enniskillen, perhaps following illness or injury.

In December 1918 or January 1919 Noble was transferred to the Military Foot Police (No. P/16930). He was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 7 July 1919.

Noble married Martha McCunn of Oystervale, Myroe, County Londonderry, in the Ballykelly Parish Church on 30 August 1921. By 1959 he was living at Killeeshill, Dungannon, having retired as a hardware merchant. He died here on 7 October.

 

Belfast Telegraph, 8 October 1959

 

This page last updated 11 March 2023.