2nd Lieutenant Hubert McManus
Hubert McManus was born on 6 May 1888 at Dungannon, County Tyrone, the sixth of eight children of draper Samuel McManus and his wife Jane (nee Booth). After being educated at the Royal School, Dungannon, he found employment in Belfast as a bank clerk for the Belfast Banking Company.
In 1911 or 1912 he emigrated to Canada with his younger brother Randal, probably joining their older brother Harold. Hubert worked in the North Bay, Ontario, branch of the Imperial Bank of Canada.
When the war began Hubert and Randal returned to Ireland to enlist. Hubert joined the North Irish Horse at Antrim on 5 October 1914 (No.1267). Randal joined the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron a few weeks later.
Hubert arrived in France as part of a small reinforcement party for the North Irish Horse on 2 June 1915. He was posted to C Squadron. Randal arrived in France with his squadron in October that year.
In June 1916 C Squadron joined with F Squadron and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment – the two brothers thus being re-united. Hubert was promoted to lance corporal on 6 August 1916, and corporal the following March.
On 7 March 1917 Hubert applied for a commission in the Machine Gun Corps (Cavalry Branch). He left France for the UK on 19 April and was transferred to the Machine Gun Corps (No.104215). On 2 July he arrived at the No.1 Machine Gun Corps Officer Cadet Battalion at Grantham. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 27 October 1917.
However, soon after he become ill and was hospitalised in the Military Hospital at Grantham. The condition did not improve sufficiently for him to resume his duties, and he relinquished his commission on account of ill-heath on 28 April 1918. Two weeks earlier his brother Randal had been killed in the fighting around Kemmel.
Hubert McManus returned to work in the Belfast Bank in 1918, remaining in Belfast for the rest of his life.
Images sourced from http://www.dungannonwardead.com/persondepth.asp?cas_id=500.