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In memoriam

Private William Alexander Morrow

 

 

William Alexander Morrow was born on 11 November 1886 at Drumnascamph, Rathfriland, County Down, the first of six children of weaver Joseph Morrow and his wife Agnes Jane (nee Wallace).

Morrow enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Rathfriland between 8 and 14 April 1913 (No.832 – later Corps of Hussars No 71123). He embarked for France on 17 August 1914 with A Squadron, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne. He remained with the regiment through much of the war.

On 30 November 1915 while serving at Dieppe, Morrow faced a Field General Court Martial, charged with 'breaking out of barracks or camp'. He was sentenced to 14 days' Field Punishment No.1.

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 it was dismounted and converted to a corps cyclist regiment.

Morrow was fatally wounded on 9 April 1918 at the beginning of the German offensive south of the Ypres sector. It is not clear what role he was playing at the time, as his regiment was then serving on the Somme front at Rubempre.

He was buried at Hinges Military Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France, grave C.41. The gravestone inscription reads:

H/71123 PRIVATE
W. A. MORROW
NORTH IRISH HORSE
9TH APRIL 1918 AGE 38

 

 

Image 1 kindly provided by Steve Rogers, Project Co-ordinator of the The War Graves Photographic Project, www.twgpp.org. Image 2, Private Morrow's 1914-18 War Medal, kindly provided by William Gordon.