North Irish Horse - Gallery - In memoriam

In memoriam

Private Frederick Livingstone

Frederick Livingstone (or Levingston) was born on 1 April 1892 at Corglass, County Cavan, the fifth of six children of farmer Richard Livingstone and his wife Essie Anne (nee Tilson). By 1911 he was living and working on the family farm at Corglass.

Livingstone enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Cavan between 4 and 11 August 1913 (No.861 – later Corps of Hussars No.71134). He embarked for France on 17 August 1914 with A Squadron, seeing action in the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne. He remained with the regiment in France and Belgium throughout the war.

In May 1916 A Squadron joined with D and E Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and re-formed as V Corps' cyclist regiment.

Livingstone saw action with the regiment during the Advance to Victory offensive from 21 August 1918. It appears that by then he was posted to E Squadron. He was killed in action on 26 August as the 38th (Welsh) Division, supported by E Squadron, captured Bazentin-le-Grand and advanced on Longueval.

Livingstone was buried near where he fell, just south of Mametz Wood on the slope rising east to Montauban (map reference 57c.S.15.c.5.9). After the war his body was exhumed and re-buried in the Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France, grave XI.A.1. His gravestone inscription reads:

H/71134 PRIVATE
F. LIVINGSTONE
NORTH IRISH HORSE
20TH AUGUST 1916

[Note the incorrect date on the gravestone. This has now been corrected in Commonwealth War Graves Commission records and will be corrected on the gravestone when it is due for replacement.]

Postcard sent by Livingstone from the annual camp in 1914. It reads:

Love from Fred Livingstone with the North Irish Horse at Camp Newcastle in July 1914. 4th Aug 1914 War was Declared.