Sergeant Reuben Bolten Dickson
Reuben Bolton Dickson was born on 12 April 1894 in Albert Street, Bangor, County Down, the first of four children of clerk (later traveller) Joseph Dickson and his wife Mary (nee Lindsay). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living with his parents, siblings and a grandfather in Victoria, Bangor, and working as a tea trade apprentice to the firm Carrothers & Andrews of Waring Street, Belfast.
Dickson enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 13 and 19 May 1915 (No.1544 – later Corps of Hussars No.71432). He embarked from France in 1916, probably with E Squadron on 11 January that year.
He remained with the regiment in France and Belgium through much of the war. A newspaper report form March 1918 stated that he had been "wounded some time ago, and later gassed."
On 15 March 1918 Dickson married Lillie Ferris at Lynn Memorial Methodist Church in Belfast.
On 1 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Dickson worked as a commercial traveller. He died at his home, 6 Sheridan Drive, Bangor, on 27 July 1961, and was buried in the Clandeboye Cemetery.
Dickson's father Joseph also served in the war, as a driver in the Army Service Corps.
Image from the Larne Times of March 1918 kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, Researcher at History Hub Ulster (www.greatwarbelfastclippings.com).