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Private Samuel Alexander Stewart

 

Samuel Alexander Stewart was born on 15 May 1895, the third or fourth of eight children of Royal Irish Constabulary policeman Isaac Stewart and his wife Mary Jane (née Alexander). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 35 Academy Terrace and Fairman Place, Londonderry, with his parents and five of his siblings.

Stewart enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 1 or 2 September 1914 (No.1082 – later Corps of Hussars No.71227). On 20 January 1915 he embarked for France with a reinforcement draft for A and C Squadrons – he was probably posted to the former.

In May 1916 A Squadron came together with D and E Squadrons to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.

Stewart remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 28 January 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.