Private William Harris Boyd
William Harris Boyd was born on 1 April 1884 in Market Street, Limavady, County Londonderry, the last of twelve children of woollen draper Joseph Douglas Boyd and his wife Martha Jane (nee Rodgers). In May 1902 he joined the Northern Bank, working at head office in Belfast and branch offices in Ballinamore, Cushendall and Mohill over the following decade. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living as a boarder in Main Street, Mohill, County Leitrim, and working in the bank as a cashier.
On 11 February 1916 Boyd enlisted in the North Irish Horse (No.2112). Five months later he married Frances Eve Burtchael McAdoo at the Outeragh Church of Ireland Church, County Leitrim.
While at the North Irish Horse reserve depot at Antrim, Boyd served as assistant instructor in the regimental signalling school. Following illness and an injury inflicted by a horse, a medical board found he was no longer physically fit for military service. On 19 December 1917 he was discharged (paragraph 392 xvi, King's Regulations). He later wrote to the War Office applying for a Silver War Badge:
I was discharged from the Military Hospital Belfast ... with T.B. kidney. My complaint was admitted to be totally due to hardship & injury whilst on duty on military service & I am still in receipt of a pension.
The badge was issued soon after.
Boyd resumed work at the Northern Bank in April 1918, working at head office in Belfast and branches in Ballymoney and Armoy over the following years. On 9 January 1934 he died at Northern Bank House, Armoy. He was buried in the First Limavady Presbyterian Church Burying-ground, County Londonderry.
Irish Times, 10 January 1934
The image of Boyd and some of the information above is sourced from Gavin Bamford's site honouring the officials of the Northern Bank and Belfast Bank who served during the two World Wars and in more recent conflicts. northernbankwarmemorials.blogspot.com.au.