Private James Hogg
James Hogg was born on 2 May 1888 at Killyberne, Magherafelt, County Londonderry, the fourth of nine children of carpenter Daniel Hogg and his wife Isabella (née McGee). Although he grew up at Killyberne, at some point after the turn of the century he moved to Scotland, probably Glasgow, and it appears he was living there at the time of the 1911 Census.
Hogg enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Cookstown on 2 September 1914 (No.1097) at the same time as his brother, John Hogg. Another brother, William, was already serving in France with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Hogg found himself in regular trouble with the authorities. On 19 September 1914 at Antrim he was admonished for being absent from evening stables and drunk; on 22 October he was awarded 7 days' Field Punishment No.2 for theft; on 9 November he was given two extra stable guards for being asleep at his post whilst a stable sentry; and ten days later he was given 12 days' Field Punishment No.2 and lost five days' pay for breaking out of camp and being absent from watch-setting for five days.
Following the last offence the regiment's commanding officer sought his discharge:
Authority is requested for the discharge of No.1097 Pte. Hogg James, North Irish Horse enlisted at Cookstown on the 2nd September 1914 under Para 392 (iii)c Kings Regulations as undesirable on account of his conduct. The above named man has continually misconducted himself since enlistment and owing to the excellent class of recruits now being trained at Antrim it is not considered to be of benefit to these men, or in the interest of the service that he should be retained. This man is at present serving a sentence of twelve days Field Punishment No 2 and it is specially desired that his discharge may be carried out before the end of the present month. Numbers of excellent men are daily presenting themselves for enlistment so that his services could be replaced with benefit to the service.
Hogg was discharged on 28 November 1914 (paragraph 392 (iii)(c), King's Regulations). His military character was recorded as 'bad'.
It appears, however, that he then re-enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles (No.2469). On 22 February 1915 he embarked for France, where he was posted to the 2nd Battalion. On 26 June that year the Mid-Ulster Mail reported that:
Rifleman James Hogg, 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Rifles, writing from 3rd Northern Hospital, Sheffield, on 13th June to his sister who lives at Ardvarnish, Cookstown, says:-- I suppose you received the post card saying I am in Sheffield Hospital. The wound is not very serious; a shell burst in the trench beside me and buried me up and the explosion broke the drum of my right ear. It has been very painful but it is getting all right again. I am deaf with it but can hear all right with the other one, so I am not so badly off after all. I am very glad to be in England again and in such a good hospital. The sisters are very nice, and they think they cannot do enough for us. I think I will manage to get home for the 12th, as I always said I would. When discharged from hospital I will get home on furlough, but when that will be I cannot say, and I need not be in a hurry getting out of here as it is such a glorious change from the trenches. I will write to the others when my head gets settled as it is a bit dizzy yet.
She also received a letter from her brother, Lance-Corporal William Hogg, 2nd Battalion Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, who is in France, in which he says:-- ... I think James is well as I was speaking to one of the R.I.R. who saw him a week ago and he was well then, but one never knows the minute that death is due to them here as there is heavy fighting going on this last month.
Hogg was transferred to the Seaforth Highlanders (No. S/26311), probably in late 1915 or 1916, serving with the 1st Battalion in the Middle East. In September 1918 he was transferred to the 1st Garrison Battalion, Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment) (No.39862).
On 29 July 1919 Hogg was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve. He was granted a pension, as he was suffering from malaria and otitis media, both caused by his military service. At some time after the war he lived at the Benbow Hotel in Dalmuir, Glasgow, and at Townparks, Antrim (his brothers John and William also lived at Townparks).
By 1968 Hogg was living with his wife Margaret Jane at 16 Kelburn Park, Burnside, Doagh, Ballyclare. He died in hospital on 23 December that year and was buried in the Kilbride Cemetery.
Both of Hogg's brothers, John and William, survived the war, although William's right leg had been amputated due to a wound.