Private Joseph Buick
Joseph Buick was born on 14 July 1896 at Maryhill, Scotland, the third of six children of Irish-born parents, iron moulder Hugh Buick and his wife Agnes (née Crawford). It appears that soon after, the family returned to Ireland, where Agnes managed a farm at Shane's Castle, Milltown, near Antrim, while Hugh continued to work at Maryhill. At the time of the Ulster Covenant (1912) Joseph was living at Shane's Castle with his mother and siblings.
Buick enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 10 September 1914 (No.1201 – later Corps of Hussars No.71278). On 1 May 1915 he embarked for France with D Squadron, which at the time was serving as divisional cavalry to the 51st Division.
In May 1916 D Squadron came together with A and E Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Buick remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 13 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Buick returned to Milltown, where he worked as a gardener. On 30 March 1920 he married Agnes Tully at St Anne's Church of Ireland Parish Church, Belfast. In March 1929 the couple, with their five children, emigrated to Canada under the Empire Settlement Act. Joseph died in Toronto on 2 November 1968.
Buick's two older brothers also served in the war, both in the 11th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. Sergeant Jackson Crawford Buick was killed in action on the Somme on 1 July 1916. Lance Corporal James Buick was awarded a Military Medal in 1917 and was later wounded, but survived the war.
Jackson Buick
James Buick
Images sourced from Ancestry Public Member Trees: contributor 'JGB65' for images 1 and 3; contributor Kyle Gribbon for image 2.