Lance Corporal Harold Richard McCormack
Harold Richard McCormack (or McCormick) was born on 29 August 1896 at Knockadrinan, Mohill, County Leitrim, the eleventh of fourteen children of RIC sergeant Thomas McCormack and his wife Margaret Anne (née Weir). Soon after, following his father's retirement from the police, the family moved to Drumcree, County Westmeath, where Thomas worked as an estate bailiff. At the time of the 1911 Census Harold was living as a boarder at the Sligo Grammar School.
McCormack enlisted in the North Irish Horse at some point following the declaration of war in August 1914 (regimental number unknown). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp until November 1916, when he and around 100 other North Irish Horsemen volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles. The formal transfer took place on 7 December (McCormack was issued regimental number 40845), and on that day the men embarked for France. There they were posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, joining it on the Somme front on 12 December.
No further information has been found on McCormick's service in the war.
After the war he worked as an excise officer in Ireland. On 18 November 1926 he married Olive Higgins at Westport Church of Ireland Parish Church, County Mayo.
At least one of McCormack's brothers, Albert James McCormack, also served in the war, in the North Irish Horse and Royal Irish Fusiliers.