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Private William Boyd

 

William Boyd was born on 23 January 1893 at Shanaghy, Ballymoney, County Antrim, the tenth or eleventh of fourteen children of farmer Robert Boyd and his wife Mary Anne (nee Millar). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Shanaghy with his parents and five siblings.

Boyd enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 4 and 10 March 1914 (No.921 – later Corps of Hussars No.71161). He embarked for France with A Squadron on 17 August 1914, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.

In May 1916 A Squadron came together with D and E 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.

Boyd remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 11 February 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.