Shoeing Smith Hugh Johnston
The background of this man is not certain, but he is probably the same Hugh Johnston, North Irish Horse, listed in the Mid-Ulster Mail's Magherafelt Roll of Honour on 15 January 1916. That suggests that he was the Hugh Johnston born on 4 June 1889 at Aghagaskin, Magherafelt, County Londonderry, the last of eight children of farmer James Johnston and his wife Mary (née Stewart). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Aghagaskin with his parents and four of his five surviving siblings and working on the family farm.
Johnston enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 24 May 1915 (No.1585 – later Corps of Hussars No.71456). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and early 1918, possibly with E Squadron on 11 January 1916.
In May 1916 E Squadron came together with A and D Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit. This meant a 25 per cent reduction in the regiment's numbers, and it is probable that this was the time that Johnston was transferred to the 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars.
On 9 March 1919 Johnston was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve. After the war he returned to Aghagaskin. On 31 January 1921 he married widow Mary Weir (née Merlin) in the St Swithins Church of Ireland Parish Church, Magherafelt.