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Private Andrew Henry

 

Andrew Henry was born on 7 January 1901 at Fermoyle, Calry, County Sligo, the second of eight children of farmer Thomas Henry and his wife Frances (née Fraser). By the tme of the 1911 Census he was living at Fermoyle with his parents, his five surviving siblings (another would be born later that year), his grandmother and an aunt.

Henry enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Boyle, County Roscommon, on 12 September 1917. He gave his age as 18 and 5 months (his true age was 16 and 8 months) and his occupation as shop assistant. He reported for duty at Antrim two days later, where he was issued regimental number 2684 (later Corps of Hussars No.71986).

Henry embarked for France on 23 November 1918 (twelve days after the war had ended) with a reinforcement draft for the North Irish Horse Cyclist Regiment, joining it in the field on 10 December. On 7 June 1919, with around twenty other North Irish Horsemen, he transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps (No.23914) and was posted to IV Corps Cyclist Regiment, part of the Army of Occupation based in Rolsdorf, Germany.

On 12 November 1919 Henry was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.

Henry married Sarah (Sadie) Walls in the Strabane Presbyterian Church on 4 August 1927.