Private George Henry Buffini
George Henry Buffini was born on 25 August 1896 at 22 Mount Pleasant Terrace, Rathmines, Dublin, the first of nine children of carpenter (later organ builder) Daniel Buffini and his wife Elizabeth Margaret (née Moloney). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living in Camden Street, Upper West Side, Dublin, with his parents and four of his siblings.
Buffini enlisted in the South Irish Horse in August 1915 (No.1506). He embarked for France on 13 March 1916 with E Squadron, which was then serving as divisional cavalry to the 39th Division. On 15 April the following year he returned to the UK, presumably sick, injured or wounded.
Buffini returned to France on 17 October 1917, having been transferred to the North Irish Horse (No.2701 – Corps of Hussars No.71981). (By then the South Irish Horse Regiments in France had been disbanded and re-formed as an infantry battalion.) He was posted to one of the squadron of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, which was then serving as corps cavalry to V Corps.
In February-March 1918 the 1st NIH Regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit. This meant a 25 per cent reduction in the regiment's numbers. On 1 April Buffini was transferred to the Royal Engineers (No.360310). He remained with that regiment until after the war, returning to the UK on 2 May 1919.
Buffini re-enlisted at Dublin in the Hussars on 11 August 1919 (No.80967 – later Army No.533963). Posted to the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, he served in India and Iraq until discharged on 7 October 1923 at the termination of his period of engagement (paragraph 392(xxi), King's Regulations). His military character was recorded as 'very good'.
Between 1923 and 1928 Buffini moved to England, living at Leicester. He died there in 1980.