Private Wilton Middleton
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present. According to his enlistment record he was born in Monaghan Parish, County Monaghan around 1892. On 25 December 1917 he married Florence Davis in the Church of Ireland's Christ Church, Belfast. His marriage certificate gives his address as 8 Pandora Street, Belfast, his occupation as a fitter, and his father's name as Joseph, a horse dealer. The couple had two children over the next three years.
Middleton enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Belfast on 1 November 1918. At the time he was working as a fitter's helper at the Harland & Wolff Shipyard. He reported for duty at the regimental reserve camp at Antrim three days later. There he was issued regimental number 72226.
On 25 January 1919 at Antrim he was awarded five days' confined to camp and deprived of six days' pay for being absent without leave for six days. On 5 May he was confined to camp for 14 days for being 'drunk, creating a disturbance in the canteen and wilfully injuring a comrade'.
Middleton was posted to the 2nd Reserve Cavalry Regiment at the Curragh on 30 May 1919. He was later attached to the 1st Reserve Cavalry Regiment. On 20 October 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
Middleton later claimed a pension for a hernia which he said occurred on 1 February 1919 by him 'falling on fare arch of saddle whilst jumping [causing] pain in right groin with heavy lifting".
After the war he lived for some time at 22 Albion Street, Belfast, working as a baker, then at 61 Kilburn Street, working as a labourer. He died on 5 December 1947 and was buried in the Belfast City Cemetery, Glenalina Extension.