Private John Andrew McNutt
John Andrew McNutt was born on 29 June 1884 at Burnfoot, County Donegal, the fifth of six children of grocer and farmer John McNutt and his wife Margaret (nee Whan). The family later lived at nearby Carnshannagh. Educated at Foyle College, Londonderry, McNutt was employed by the Northern Bank in May 1902, serving at Head Office in Belfast, then Dromore, Mohill, Southern, Ramelton, Fintona and Donegall Square branches to 1915. (At the time of the 1911 Census he was living as a boarder at Parnell Place, Dublin.)
McNutt enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Antrim on 24 November 1915 (No.1964). He embarked for France on 1 August 1916, where he was posted to either the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment.
In September 1917 the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment was disbanded and most of its men, together with some surplus to the needs of the 1st NIH Regiment, were transferred to the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion. Like most of the men, McNutt was transferred on 20 September. He was issued a new regimental number – 41398. It is likely that he saw action with the battalion in the Battle of Cambrai in November and December 1917 and perhaps also in the retreat from St Quentin from 21 to 28 March 1918.
In April 1918, while the 9th (NIH) Battalion was on the Ypres front, McNutt fell ill with trench fever and chronic rheumatism. He was evacuated to England where he was admitted to the 2nd Western General Hospital at Manchester, remaining there until 1 June, when he was transferred to the Rock Park Spa at Llandrindod in Wales.
After a month there McNutt returned to Ireland but the trench fever persisted. On 9 November 1918 he was transferred to the Royal Army Service Corps (No. S445403) where he was employed as a supply clerk in the Prees Heath Camp. On 18 January 1919 a medical board found he was free from infection and fit for service.
On 18 February 1919 McNutt was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve. He resumed work at the Northern Bank, serving at Head Office, Clones, Ballybay, Ramelton and Fivemiletown branches over the following decades.
On 12 October 1921 McNutt married Edith May Earls at Newtownbutler Methodist Church, County Fermanagh. By 1969 he was living at 9 Ashley Park, Bangor, County Down. He died there on 14 October that year.
McNutt's brother William served in the war as a chaplain to the forces (4th Class) from January 1918.
The image and some of the information above is sourced from Gavin Bamford's site honouring the officials of the Northern Bank and Belfast Bank who served during the two World Wars and in more recent conflicts. northernbankwarmemorials.blogspot.com.au