Private John Keown
John Keown was born on 7 May 1899 at Portinode, Irvinestown, County Fermanagh, the sixth of eight children of farmer John Keown and his wife Jane (née Keown). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Portinode with his parents and his six surviving siblings.
Keown enlisted, probably in the cavalry, at Enniskillen on 14 March 1917. He gave his civilian occupation as railway worker. Between 26 June and 3 July that year he was posted to the North Irish Horse (regimental number between 2565 and 2602 – later Corps of Hussars No.71901).
After training at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp, on 31 March 1918 Keown embarked for France, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment. This regiment was then in the process of being dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit. It served as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Whether Keown remained with the North Irish Horse through this period, or was attached to another cavalry unit as occurred to some others in the regiment, is not known. However on 16 April 1919 he was transferred to the 6th Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers) – Corps of Dragoons number D/32860. On 20 September 1919 he returned to the UK from France, and on 12 November that year was transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.