Sergeant Robert Warnock
Robert Warnock was born on 31 July 1879 in North Street, Newtownards, County Down, the third of fourteen children of labourer and bundler James Warnock and his wife Sarah (née Orr). The family moved to Belfast around 1890. On 20 February 1911 he married widow Annie Kirkpatrick (née Kane) at St Anne's Church of Ireland Parish Church in Belfast. The couple lived at 22 Crosby Street, Robert working as a general labourer.
Warnock enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 8 or 9 October 1914 (No.1296 – later Corps of Hussars No.71324). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and 1918, possibly with E Squadron on 11 January 1916.
In May 1916 E Squadron came together with A and D 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.
Warnock was serving with the North Irish Horse cyclist battalion when he was wounded during the latter part of the Advance to Victory offensive from August to November 1918. The wound was not severe, and on 2 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Warnock lived for many years with his family at 7 Diamond Street, Belfast, working as a labourer. He died in Belfast City Hospital on 7 June 1960, and was buried in the Carnmoney Cemetery.
At least one of Warnock's ten brothers also served in the war. William Warnock, of the 2nd Battalion, Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers, was killed in action on 26 August 1914.