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Private George Ferris

 

George Ferris was born on 8 March 1899 at Bruslee, Ballylinny, County Antrim, the second of six children of National School teacher Thomas John Ferris and his wife Margaret (née McIlroy). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Bruslee with his parents and his three surviving siblings (another would be born later that year).

Ferris enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 1916 and 1918 (regimental number unknown at present). He remained at the regimental reserve depot at Antrim and was probably demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, in 1919.

After the war Ferris emigrated to New Zealand with two North Irish Horse comrades, William Holmes and Arthur McGookin. They sailed from Southampton on 18 February 1921 on board the Waimana – Ferris listed as a clerk, aged 21.

On 12 September 1934 he married Betty Leslie Crane in St Matthew's Church, Auckland.