---

 

Private Josiah Alexander Lyons

 

Josiah Alexander Lyons was born on 4 December 1889 at Ballygan, Ballymoney, County Antrim, the eighth of ten children of farmer Josiah Lyons and his wife Annie Boyd Lyons (née Lyons). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Ballygan with his parents and four of his six surviving siblings, and working on the family farm.

Lyons enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 4 and 10 June 1915 (No.1686 – later Corps of Hussars No.71500). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and 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. It then served as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.

Lyons remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 10 October 1918 the Ballymoney Free Press reported that he was home on leave from France. He was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 28 February 1919.