Private William John Church
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present, other than that he was from West Kensington, London.
William John Church enlisted or was called-up to the army at some time between 1914 and 1917. Around 1917 it is probable that he was posted to the Derbyshire Yeomanry (probably the 2/1st Regiment, a cyclist unit based in the Canterbury area).
Church remained with his regiment in the UK until 12 September 1918, when he and 55 other men of the regiment were compulsorily transferred to the Corps of Hussars (No.81256) and posted to the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, which was then serving in France as corps cyclist regiment to V Corps. They embarked at Folkestone for Boulogne that day, joining the regiment in the field six days later.
The North Irish Horse cyclists saw much action during the final months of the war, and Church was one of the many wounded. Based on the record of those reported wounded at the same time, this probably occurred in late October or early November 1918. It appears that the injury was not severe, however, and Church was able to return to his unit later that year or early in 1919.
In March 1919 Church was one of fifteen North Irish Horse cyclists who transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps (No.14829), serving in the IV Corps Cyclist Regiment in the Army of Occupation in Germany until the end of the year.