Sergeant George McMenemy
George McMenemy was born on 3 February 1877 at 1 James Street, Belfast, the second of six children of hackler and flax dresser James McMenemy and his wife Rosetta (née Neill). His father died when he was just eight years old. By 1907 he was working as a fireman. On 3 June that year he married Caroline Orrell McKinley in the Woodvale Presbyterian Church, Belfast. The couple had at least six children over the next thirteen years. By the time of the 1911 Census the family was living at 10 Tenth Street, George working as a fireman for the Belfast Fire Brigade.
McMenemy enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 5 and 11 January 1915 (No.1390 – later Corps of Hussars No.71367). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp, remaining there until discharged on 15 June 1918, probably due to ill-health. He was awarded a pension due to 'caries of the spine', his level of disability assessed at 10 per cent in December 1919.
After the war McMenemy returned to employment as a fireman, working at the Whitla Street Fire Station. By 1936 he was living at 106 Duncairn Gardens, Belfast, having retired from the fire brigade five years earlier. He died in the Royal Victoria Hospital on 21 March that year, and was buried in the Dundonald Cemetery.