Private Samuel Cosgrove
Private Cosgrove of Shankhill enlisted with the North Irish Horse (Service No.1043) on 27 August 1914. He was aged 39 at the time. He had previously served with the Royal Irish Rifles (Service No.4398) from 1894 to 1906, including tours of duty in South Africa during the Boer War, and India. As part of D Squadron North Irish Horse he trained at Bedford in England, but fell ill and returned to Ireland where he served with the Depot Squadron until he was invalided out on 9 July 1915. At the time the Medical Board found that his illness, heart disease, "originated at Bedford in Dec. 1914. States that when riding he became very short of breath. He was exposed to all kinds of weather going from his billet to where the horses were kept. Complains of dizziness, of (?) black spots in front of eyes, and of being short of breath on exertion."
In September 1916 he re-enlisted as a Sapper in the Inland Water Transport Corps of the Royal Engineers (Service No.205063) but was discharged 6 months later, the Medical Board finding:
"This man has been discharged twice before in 1902 for loss of teeth & debility and in June 1915 for (heart disease?). He ought not to have been re-enlisted, but he made the false statement that he was time-expired (?) whereas in fact he was drawing a pension and had been re-examined for this."
Cosgrove died on 10 December 1917 and was buried at Belfast City Cemetery, grave D1 277. His wife Agnes and their 8 children were awarded a pension. The following appeared in the Belfast Evening Telegraph:
MILITARY FUNERAL IN BELFAST.
Military honours were accorded the funeral, which took place to the City Cemetery yesterday, of Samuel Cosgrove, Royal Engineers, formerly of the Royal Irish Rifles and the North Irish Horse. The deceased was invalided out of the service in February last, and had been in failing health since, death taking place on Monday, 10th inst., at his residence, 49 Harrison Street. He had a long and eventful record of Army service. In 1894 he joined the 1st Royal Irish Rifles, and served with them 12 years, taking part in the arduous South African campaign for which he held medal and five bars. At the outbreak of the present war he joined up with the North Irish Horse in August, 1914, and had served almost a year when he was invalided out. His patriotism was such that when his health improved he once more entered the service, joining the Royal Engineers in September, 1916, and remaining in that corps until his discharge, as stated above, last February. He was 40 years of age, and by his death his widow and a family of eight, ages ranging from 12 years to a babe in arms, are deprived of a breadwinner. The remains, draped in the Union Jack, were conveyed by gun carriage from the home to the cemetery, a band of the R.I.R.s and firing party attending. The service was conducted by Rev. M. G. Gardner B.A. After the interment the "Last Post" was sounded and a farewell volley fired. ...
Image and text from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, kindly provided by Nigel Henderson (see Fitzroy Presbyterian Church: Wartime Service and Sacrifice).