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Private Malcolm Rafferty

 

This North Irish Horseman was probably the Malcolm Rafferty born on 12 August 1890 at Ballyharvey, Muckamore Grange, County Antrim, the first of six children of ploughman and labourer (later fire man) Michael (or Malcolm) Rafferty and his wife Margaret (née Allen). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Ballyarnott, Antrim Rural, where he worked as a farm servant for a Joseph McClughan.

Rafferty enlisted in the North Irish Horse at some point following the declaration of war in August 1914 (regimental number unknown). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp until November 1916, when he and around 100 other North Irish Horsemen volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles. The formal transfer took place on 7 December (Rafferty was issued regimental number 40911), and on that day the men embarked for France. There they were posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, joining it on the Somme front on 12 December.

No further information has been found on Rafferty's service in the war.