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Private William Lyons

 

This North Irish Horseman was probably the William Abraham Lyons born on 15 July 1898 at 117 St John's Row, Hoxton, London, the sixth of at least nine children of labourer (later electrical cable joiner) William Lyons and his wife Mary (née Simcock). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 281 Sumner Road, Peckham, with his parents and siblings.

Lyons joined the North Irish Horse (either enlisted or called-up) on 3 April 1917 (No.2538 – later Corps of Hussars No.71884). After training at the regimental reserve at Antrim, in 1917 or 1918 he embarked for France, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment.

This regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps from its establishment in May 1916 until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.

Lyons was wounded while serving with the regiment in October 1918, during the Advance to Victory offensive. On 11 April 1919 he was discharged, being 'no longer physically fit for war service' (paragraph 392 (xvi), King's Regulations).