Private Thomas Foreman
Thomas Foreman was born on 17 September 1887 at Knockbracken, Newtownbreda, son of farmer Samuel Foreman and his wife Mary (nee Martin).
He enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 16 October 1916 (No.2294) and was sent to France as a reinforcement for the 1st of 2nd Regiment prior to September 1917.
On 20 September 1917 he was transferred to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – which was renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – when the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment was disbanded and absorbed into that battalion. He received a new number – 41447 – and was posted to C Company.
Private Foreman was captured on 27 March 1918 during the German Spring Offensive, as were hundreds of others of the battalion. He had a wounded left arm. He was held at POW camps at Limburg, Darmstadt and Hamburg for the remainder of the war.
Private Foreman (white shirt, second row, extreme right), in a German POW camp, 1918.
Private Foreman arrived home in Belfast on Saturday 6 December 1918.
On 5 July 1919 he was discharged due to sickness - Para 392(xvi), King's Regulations.
He died in Belfast on 15 August 1945.
Image from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, kindly provided by Nigel Henderson, Researcher at History Hub Ulster (www.greatwarbelfastclippings.com). I am grateful to Thomas Foreman's granddaughter Maureen Allister for providing the image of Private Foreman as a prisoner of war, and Ruth Allister for her assistance in bringing it to light.