Lance Corporal William McGiffin Howard
William McGiffin Howard was born on 12 August 1898 at 17 Uniondale Street, Belfast, the fifth of six children of ship carpenter Arthur Howard and his wife Mary (née McGiffin). His mother died when he was just six years old. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 16 Evelyn Avenue, Belfast, with his father, his three surviving brothers, his sister and her husband and child.
Howard enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 6 and 8 November 1915 (No.1802 – later Corps of Hussars No.71567). He probably overstated his age, as he was just 17 at the time. He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France in August or September 1916. There he was posted to A Squadron, one of the three squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment.
In October 1916 Howard fell ill with influenza and was admitted to the 18th General Hospital at Camiers, remaining there for a week before transferring to a convalescent depot and then returning to his squadron.
The 1st North Irish Horse Regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps from its establishment in May 1916 until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war. Howard remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 3 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
Howard's brother Arthur also served in the war, in the 14th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles.