Private David Duncan Buchanan
David Duncan Buchanan was born on 25 May 1895 at Harryville, Ballymena, County Antrim, the second of four children of cattle-dealer (later butcher) Thomas Buchanan and his wife Elizabeth (née Penny). His father died when he was just four years old, and the following year he and his older brother John were selected to receive assistance from the Protestant Orphan Society. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 7 Clarence Street, Ballymena, with his mother and younger brother Thomas. (Another brother had died as an infant, and a half-sister had died soon after being born.)
Buchanan enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 9 or 10 November 1915 (No.1837). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France in 1916 or the first half of 1917, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiments.
In August-September 1917 the 2nd NIH Regiment was disbanded and its men, together with some surplus to the needs of the 1st NIH Regiment, were transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers, an infantry regiment. Most, including Buchanan, were transferred on 20 September and posted to the 9th (Service) Battalion – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion – joining it in the field at Ruyaulcourt five days later. Buchanan was issued regimental number 41421.
No information has been discovered about Buchanan's service with the 9th (NIH) Battalion through the latter part of 1917 and during 1918. On 2 March 1919 he was demobilised (or discharged). He was granted a pension due to 'disordered action of the heart', which was attributed to his military service, his level of disability assessed at 30 per cent in April 1920.
After the war Buchanan lived at 1 Waveney Road, Ballymena, and worked as a clerk. On 1 September 1920 he married Annie Ramsey in the Church of Ireland's Church of St Patrick, Ballymena. He died at his home on 16 September 1927 and was buried in the St Patrick's churchyard.
Buchanan's brother John also served in the war, in the 6th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles. He was killed in the Battle of Sari Bair at Gallipoli on 10 August 1915.