Lieutenant Sidney Herbert Warne
Sidney Herbert Warne was born on 24 October 1894 at Newcastle, County Down, the third of four children of grocer and naval pensioner Walter Warne and his wife Jane (formerly Long, nee Long). Walter also had six children and Jane one child by previous marriages. Educated at the Municipal Technical Institute, Belfast, by 1911 Sidney was living at 107 Main Street, Newcastle, with his parents, sister and half-sister, and working as an apprentice bicycle mechanic. Soon after he began an apprenticeship as a printer with the Belfast firm McCaw, Stevenson & Orr.
Warne and his brother Ernest William enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Belfast on 14 September 1914 (No.1210 – later Corps of Hussars No.71284). They embarked for France with D Squadron on 1 May 1915. Sidney was promoted to acting lance corporal on 14 January 1916, lance corporal on 22 July, and corporal on 26 February 1917. On 30 July 1917 he reverted to the rank of private at his own request.
Warne applied for a commission in the infantry on 28 November 1917. He returned to the UK the following month and after a period of leave, on 8 February 1918 reported for duty at No.7 Officer Cadet Battalion at Fermoy.
After a period of cadet training Warne was assessed as "rather a weak Cadet but should improve up to the required standard during the next month" and later "has improved very much lately".
On 31 July 1918 he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and posted to the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. He embarked for France on 1 October 1918, where he was posted to the 13th Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
After a period in hospital in 1919 Warne was attached to the 174th, then 48th then 84th Labour Companies in France and Belgium.
Warne was promoted to lieutenant on 31 January 1920. He returned to the UK for demobilisation on 28 March that year, relinquishing his commission the following day.