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In memoriam

Private George Harper

 

 

George Harper was born on 5 September 1893 at Lismore, Ballygawley, County Tyrone, son of farmer and army pensioner William Harper and his wife Martha Jane Harper (nee English). 

He enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Fivemiletown at the end of January 1914 (No.890).  On 20 August that year he embarked for France with C Squadron of the NIH. 

He later fell ill and was evacuated for treatment in England.  He died at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Netley, Hampshire, on 24 May 1915, aged 21.  The cause of death was recorded as spinal meningitis.  Harper was buried at Netley Military Cemetery, grave C.E.1693. The gravestone inscription reads:

890 PRIVATE
G.HARPER
NORTH IRISH HORSE
24TH MAY 1915 AGE 21

SAFE IN THE ARMS OF JESUS

 

His name is also recorded on a memorial tablet in St John's Church, Fivemiletown (see below).

 

Clipping above from the Belfast News-Letter, 29 June 1915

 

St John's Church, Fivemiletown

 

First image kindly provided by Steve Rogers, Project Co-ordinator of the The War Graves Photographic Project, www.twgpp.org. Last image sourced from the Ireland Genealogy Page website.