Private Francis George Alexander Hassard
Francis George Alexander Hassard was born on 25 February 1888 at White Rocks, Church Hill, County Fermanagh, the third of four children of farmer Hugh Hassard and his wife Margaret (nee Dundas). By 1911 he was living with his parents at White Rocks and working on the family farm.
Hassard enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Derrygonnelly on 8 February 1911 (No.584). He embarked for France with A Squadron on 17 August 1914, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.
He may have been wounded, injured or fallen ill, for he returned to the UK on 19 November 1914.
Hassard remained with the regiment at its reserve depot at Antrim.
When his period of service expired he chose to leave the army. He was discharged at Antrim as 'time expired' on 7 February 1916. His record of service was marked as "very good".
After the war Hassard returned to farming. He died on 10 November 1967.
Hassard's older brother, William James, also served during the war, in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He was badly wounded, having a leg amputated. Although records suggest he took part in the landing at Cape Helles, Gallipoli, on 25 April 1915 with the 1st Battalion, other records show him in a hospital at Boulogne on 28 June 1915, suffering from a serious thigh wound and fracture sustained in France with the 2nd Battalion.
My thanks to Avril Burns for some of the above information.
This page last updated 22 April 2023.