Private Hugh Alexander Johnston Kyle
Hugh Alexander Johnston Kyle was born on 18 November 1894 at Attaghmore, Fintona, County Tyrone, the eighth of ten children of farmer Robert James Kyle and his wife Isabella (nee Johnston). By 1911 he was living with his parents and four of his siblings at the family farm at Attaghmore.
Kyle enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 6 April and 14 May 1914 (No.942 – later Corps of Hussars No.71174). He embarked for France with a reinforcement draft for A and C Squadrons on 9 February 1915 – he was probably posted to the former.
Kyle remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 3 April 1919 he was transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war he returned to farming at The Diamond, Fintona. On 10 October 1934 he married Anna Cochrane.
At least two of Kyle's brother's also served in the war – Haslett Kyle with the US Army and William Elliott Motherwell Kyle with the Royal Air Force. William, who later joined the Royal Artillery as a gunner, was killed at sea on 29 May 1940 during the evacuation of Dunkirk.
The images above are sourced from Haldane Mitchell, Images of Omagh and District, Vol.5 (Omagh, 1995). The first shows Kyle soon after the war, wearing his 1915 Star, Service Medal and Victory Medal. The mounted image was taken in June 1914 outside his home at The Diamond, Fintona, prior to Kyle's departure for the annual training camp at Ballykinlar, Dundrum Bay, County Down. My thanks to Dr Patrick Fitzgerald for providing these images.