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Private Thomas Stanley Cairns

 

Thomas Stanley Cairns was born on 1 August 1900 at 6 Adelaide Avenue, Belfast, the second of two children of grocer's manager (later commercial traveller) Thomas Cairns and his wife Lilly (née Wilson). His mother died when he was just six years old. At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 20.2 Sandymount Green, Dublin, with his father, step-mother Kitty and his sister Margaret Gertrude.

Cairns enlisted in the North Irish Horse in early November 1918 (Corps of Hussars No.72230). He gave his occupation as gardener. He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp until 5 March 1919 when he re-enlisted in the cavalry (regimental number 79115 – later Army number 533844). On 5 May he was posted to the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars.

Cairns served with the regiment in India from November 1919 to October 1920, then in Mesopotamia until 12 April 1921, for which he was awarded a General Service Medal with Iraq Clasp. He was discharged on 17 May 1921, his military character recorded as 'very good'.