Private Charles Gilmore
This North Irish Horseman was probably the Charles Leinster Gilmore born on 3 July 1899 in Bow Street, Donaghadee, Couty Down, the last of four children of warehouseman (later handkerchief manufacturer) Hugh Gilmore and his wife Sarah (née Leinster). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 188 Earlswood Road, Belfast, with his parents and his two surviving siblings.
Gilmore enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 4 June 1915 (No.1665 – later Corps of Hussars No. 71491). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve depot before embarking for France at sometime in 1916 or 1917, possibly with E Squadron on 11 January 1916.
In May 1916 E Squadron came together with A and D Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps.
On 7 January 1918 Gilmore was one of thirteen members of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment who transferred to the Tank Corps (No.305505). After training at the Tank Corps depot at Bovington near Wareham, he was posted to the 3rd (Light Tank) Battalion, operating Whippet tanks. This battalion saw action during the Advance to Victory offensive, at Amiens (8-9 August 1918), Albert (21, 24 and 25 August), The Scarpe (29 August), St Quentin Canal (29 September), the Beaurevoir Line (3 October) and 2nd Cambrai (8 October). Gilmore was wounded during one of these actions, though no further details are known at present.