Lance Corporal Herbert James Eakin
Herbert James Eakin was born on 15 July 1897 at Derrydamph, Bailieborough, County Cavan, the only child of farmer Samuel William Eakin and his wife Essie (nee McFadden). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Derrydamph with his parents.
On 14 July 1915 Eakin joined the Northern Bank, working at its Head Office in Belfast then at the Keady branch. He enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 11 and 17 December that year (No.2041 – later Corps of Hussars No.71679).
Eakin embarked for France between January and August 1916, where he was posted to F Squadron, which from June 1916 was part of the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps.
During 1916 or 1917 he was posted to one of the three squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, remaining in that unit until the end of the war and seeing action on several occasions, including during the Advance to Victory offensive from August 1918.
Eakin was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 17 February 1919. The following month he resumed work at the Northern Bank. Over the next 25 years he worked at Head Office and Limavady, Kilrea, Ballynafeigh, Castlewellan, Ball's, Lisburn, Donegall Square and Hillsborough branches.
The image 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