Private Robert Herron
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present, other than that, according to the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Roll of Honour, he was from Newcastle, County Down. It is possible that he was the Robert Herron born on 20 August 1897 at Moneyslane, Banbridge, County Down, the fifth of six children of farmer Samuel William Swan Herron and his wife Mary (née Andrews). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Moneyslane with his widowed mother and one of his two surviving siblings.
Herron enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 13 and 19 April 1915 (No.1486). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France in 1916 or the first half of 1917, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiments.
In August-September 1917 the 2nd NIH Regiment was disbanded and its men, together with some surplus to the needs of the 1st NIH Regiment, were transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers, an infantry regiment. Most, including Herron, were transferred on 20 September and posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – joining it in the field at Ruyaulcourt five days later. Herron was issued regimental number 41348 and posted to B Company.
He probably saw action with the battalion at the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917.
Herron was one of the many initially posted as missing following the 9th (NIH) Battalion's fighting withdrawal from St Quentin from 21 to 28 March 1918 during the German spring offensive. He rejoined the battalion, however, on 3 April.
No further information has been discovered about Herron's service with the 9th (NIH) Battalion through the remainder of 1918.