Private John Arlow
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known for certain, other than that he was recorded as living at 448 Ligoniel Road, Belfast, soon after the war, and at some point on the Crumlin Road. He may be the John Arlow born on 2 December 1888 in Ardoyne Village, Belfast, the third of nine children of damask weaver James Arlow and his wife Sophia (née Stewart). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living in the Ardoyne Village with his parents and six of his siblings and working as a damask linen tenter.
Arlow enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 10 May 1915 (No.1521 – later Corps of Hussars No.71417). 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.
Arlow remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 14 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.