Private Josiah Carlisle
Josiah (or Joseph Alexander) Carlisle was born on 4 May 1894 at 10 Radnor Street, Belfast, the second of four children of joiner Alexander Carlisle and his wife Isabella (née Holmes). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 19 Portallo Street, Belfast, with his parents and two surviving siblings, and working as an apprentice joiner. Around this time his father emigrated to the United States, settling in Paterson, New Jersey.
Josiah enlisted in the North Irish Horse around 1910 (regimental number unknown). On 5 April 1913, however, he emigrated to the United States, sailing for New York from Londonderry on the ship Caledonia. Not having completed his four-years' service with the regiment, he must have either purchased his discharge, or defaulted.
On 5 June 1917 Carlisle registered for conscription in the US. He gave his address as 62 Redwood Avenue, Paterson New Jersey, and his occupation as Act Agent for the Interbow Rapid Transit Company. On 23 July that year he enlisted at New York in the Royal Flying Corps of Canada. He then gave his address as 223 East 49th Street, New York, and his occupation as 'car driver for carpenter' (presumably his father). The following day he reported for duty in Toronto, where he was issued regimental number 73243 with the rank of 2nd Air Mechanic.
It appears, however, that Carlisle fell-ill soon after, for on 19 October 1917 he was discharged (paragraph 392 (xvi), King's Regulations), being 'no longer physically fit for war service'. One record, however, suggests that he served as a lieutenant in the RFC.
After the war Carlisle moved to West Virginia, where he worked for the Fokker Aircraft Company in Glen Dale.
My thanks to Eleanor Yovich for drawing my attention to the North Irish Horse record of this man.