Private Henry Lavery
Henry Lavery was born on 28 January 1897 at Kilvergan, Lurgan, County Armagh, the first of eight children of farmer Henry Lavery and his wife Caroline (née Lynass). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Kilvergan with his parents and his five surviving siblings (another would be born later that year), and working as a farm labourer. His father died on 13 November that year.
Lavery enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 1 and 5 February 1913 (No.792 or 793 – later Corps of Hussars No.71105).
Mobilised at the beginning of the war, he trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France in 1916 or early 1917, 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.
On 24 March 1917 the Lurgan Mail reported that:
Mrs. Caroline Lavery, Kilvergan, Lurgan, has been notified that her son, Corporal Henry Lavery, North Irish Horse, has had his shoulder injured, and is at present in hospital in Leicester. He was a member of Tamnificarbet L.O.L., No. 1, Lurgan District.
After he had recovered Lavery would have been posted to the Antrim reserve camp. Whether he was able to return to front-line service is not known at present. On 12 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Lavery served in the Royal Irish Constabulary, then its successor the Royal Ulster Constabulary. On 6 June 1921 he married Agnes Davis in Willowfield Church of Ireland Parish Church, Belfast. In 1923 they emigrated to Canada, sailing from Belfast on 26 May.
This page last updated 23 April 2024.