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Private Joseph James Paisley

 

Joseph James Paisley was born on 29 November 1896 at Ballyvesey, Carnmoney, Belfast, the second of seven children of school teacher John Paisley and his wife Martha (née Brennan). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Carnmoney with his parents and four siblings.

Paisley enlisted in the North Irish Horse at some point following the declaration of war in August 1914 (regimental number unknown).

At the end of December 1916 he was one of forty North Irish Horsemen who volunteered to transfer to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. The formal transfer took place on 9 January 1917, and on the same day they embarked for France, where they were posted to the 10th Battalion, joining it at Ploegsteert Wood on the Ypres front on 16 January. Paisley was issued regimental number 40659.

The 10th Battalion was disbanded in January 1918, and it is probable that this was the time that Paisley was posted to the 2nd Battalion. No further information has been located about his service with the Inniskillings through 1918.