Private Frederick Samuel Kennedy
This North Irish Horseman was probably the Frederick Samuel Kennedy born on 21 December 1897 at 36 Copperfield Street, Belfast, the last of ten children of gardener (later nurseryman) Alexander Kennedy and his wife Rachel (née Henry). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 23 Glenburn Park, Belfast, with his parents and six of his surviving eight siblings.
Kennedy enlisted in the North Irish Horse at some point following the declaration of war in August 1914 (regimental number unknown). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp until November 1916, when he and around 100 other North Irish Horsemen volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles. The formal transfer took place on 7 December (Kennedy was issued regimental number 40884), and on that day the men embarked for France. There they were posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, joining it on the Somme front on 12 December.
Kennedy was wounded in July or August 1917, possibly on 16 August during the Battle of Langemarck, part of Third Ypres.
No further information has been found on his service in the war.
Following his demobilisation, Kennedy lived at 13 Cavehill Road, Belfast, and worked as a labourer. On 20 November 1920 he married Thomasina (Ena) Harland at St Patrick's Church of Ireland Parish Church, Ballymacarrett.
By 1961 Kennedy was living at 28 Woodvale Pass, Belfast. He died on 12 April that year at the Royal Victoria Hospital, and was buried in the Roselawn Cemetery.