Private Albert Edward Thomason
Albert Edward Thomason was born around 1890 at New Brighton, near Birkenhead, Cheshire, the first of eight children of railway porter (later storekeeper for the London & North Western Railways) Edward Thomason and his wife Annie. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 66 Westbourne Road, Birkenhead, with his parents and three of his five surviving siblings, and working as a butcher's assistant.
Thomason enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 10 October 1916 (No.2290 – later Corps of Hussars No.71742). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France in 1917. There he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiments. During that year, however, he fell ill, and was evacuated to the UK for treatment. On 6 February 1918 he was discharged, being 'no longer physically fit for war service' (paragraph 392 (xvi), King's Regulations).
Thomason was awarded a pension due to 'cardiac debility', attributed to his military service, and 'ear trouble', aggravated by his service. In February 1920 his level of disability was assessed at 40 per cent, but this had improved to 5 per cent by June the following year.
Following his discharge Thomason lived in Belfast. By 1921 he was living at 79 Thistle Street and working as a time clerk. On 28 March that year he married Agnes Graham Millar in the Victoria Memorial Hall.
Belfast News-Letter, 11 December 1916