Lieutenant John Frederick Alexander Craig
Corporal Craig in December 1914 (at rear)
John Frederick Alexander Craig, a farmer from Ardstraw, Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, was born on 10 January 1893, son of spirit merchant David Craig and his wife Sarah Jane (nee McKee).
He enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Sion Mills on 18 January 1912 (No.654). He was promoted to lance corporal on 8 April 1913, corporal on 11 April 1914, and sergeant on 21 December 1914.
He embarked for France on 17 November 1915 with F Squadron of the North Irish Horse.
At the end of December 1916 he applied for a commission and was posted to No.1 Cavalry Cadet School at Netheravon the following February. On 17 April 1917 he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and posted to the North Irish Horse reserve at Antrim. Later that year or in early 1918 he embarked for France, where he joined the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment in the field.
In February-March 1918 the 1st North Irish Horse was dismounted and converted to a corps cyclist regiment. This left around a quarter of the officers and men of the regiment surplus to requirements. Between 1 and 13 March nine officers and 66 other ranks left the regiment, all but three of the latter reporting for duty at the Machine Gun Base Depot at Camiers. However following heavy losses in the German offensive at the end of March, most were attached as reinforcements to regular cavalry units of the 1st Cavalry Division. The war diary of the 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers notes on 3 April that six officers of the North Irish Horse joined the regiment, one of those being 2nd Lieutenant Craig.
Craig remained with the Lancers. On 17 October 1918 he was promoted to lieutenant. The regimental diary notes that he was hospitalised on 14 November.
After the Armistice he served with the regiment at Düren in Germany.
Craig was demobilised on 22 February 1919, and resigned his commission in the North Irish Horse on 17 March 1920.
He later emigrated to the United States, his address being given as 994 Apgar Street, San Pablo Ave, Oakland, California.