Private Martin Andrews
Martin Andrews (or Andrew) was born on 13 November 1885 at Carrowmannan, Mountnorris, County Armagh, the last of six children of farmer William Andrews and his wife Catherine (née McKnight). By 1911 he was living at Carrowmannan with his parents and older brother Johnston, and working on the family farm.
Andrews enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 16 January and 23 February 1909 (No.289 – later Corps of Hussars 71013). He embarked for France on 17 August 1914 with A Squadron, seeing action in the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.
A letter at the time from another A Squadron man, Robert Burke, mentions "Isaac Robb & Martin Andrew and Sandy Frazer & one of the Forsythes" all from south Armagh.
A Squadron then served as escort and bodyguard to the BEF's commander-in-chief at St Omer from October 1914 until January 1916, when it was posted as divisional cavalry to the 55th Division. In May 1916 it was combined with D and E Squadrons of the North Irish Horse 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.
Andrews remained with the regiment throughout the war, though how much time he spent in France and Belgium with A Squadron and how much at home at the Antrim reserve depot is not known at present. On 2 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war he returned to farming at Carrowmannan. He died there on 16 July 1932. The Northern Whig reported:
A verdict of death from alcoholic gastritis was returned at an inquest at Balleek (Co. Armagh) yesterday on Martin Andrews (45), of Carrowmannon, farmer, who was found near his home on Friday night in a weak condition. He died the following morning despite medical attention.
His name is included on the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Roll of Honour: 1914-1919.
Private Andrews' twin brother Moses served in the war in the Canadian Expetitionary Force, seeing action in France in 1917 and 1918.
This page last updated 12 August 2025.