Private James Moore
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present, other than that he was from Limavady, County Londonderry, and born around 1895.
Moore enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 12 December 1912 (No.767). He embarked for France with C Squadron on 20 August 1914, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.
In June 1916 C Squadron combined with F Squadron and the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps until September 1917, when the regiment was disbanded and its men transferred to the infantry. Like most, Moore joined the 9th (Service) Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – on 20 September. He was issued regimental number 41304 and posted to C Company.
In October 1917 the 9th (NIH) Battalion was serving on the Cambrai sector, having moved there after sustaining heavy casualties at Langemarck. The battalion took its turn in the front line at Havrincourt Wood from 7 to 15 October. According to the official war diary it was "a tour in which our casualties were particularly low, viz: 3 slightly wounded." This took place on 9 October, a "generally quiet day on our front & weather broken & cold. 3 O.R were slightly wounded by shell-fire." The wounded men were Privates James Moore, James O'Brien and James Lewis. Moore and O'Brien, being men recently transferred from the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, were the first Horsemen wounded while serving with the 9th (NIH) Battalion., Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Moore's wound, to his left leg and foot, were more serious than the war diary suggests, and he was evacuated to England for further treatment. On 3 June 1918 he was discharged, being no longer physically fit for war service (paragraph 392 xvi, King's Regulations), and he was granted a disability pension.