Lance Corporal Jack Bloomer
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not clear, other than than he was from Newcastle, County Down.
He may have been the John Bloomer born on 17 November 1892 at Tullynamalloge, Keady, County Armagh, the fifth of ten children of gardener Richard Bloomer and his wife Margaret (née Eakin). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 111 Kilburn Street, Belfast, with his parents and his eight surviving siblings, and working as a general domestic servant. On 29 September 1915 he married Mary Ellen Johnston at the Belfast Registrar's Office. He gave his address as 6 Surrey Street Belfast, and his occupation as groom. Their first child, William John, was born the following year, in Newcastle, County Down; John was by then serving in the army.
Bloomer enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 8 and 19 October 1915 (No.1748 – later Corps of Hussars No.71538). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and 1918, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiments.
He was wounded in late August 1918 during the early stages of the Advance to Victory offensive.
On 13 March 1919 Bloomer was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
Assuming that he was the John Bloomer born at Tullynamalloge, following the war he lived with his wife and child at 6 Surry Street, Belfast, John working as a chauffer. Their second child was born on 4 December 1919. At least one of his brothers, William John, also served in the war, in the Royal Highlanders. He was awarded a Military Medal in 1916, and killed during the German spring offensive in 1918.