Lieutenant Harold Ernest Augustine Cossentine
Harold Ernest Augustine Cossentine was born on 19 March 1894 at 13 Ince Avenue, Litherland, Liverpool, son of master mariner Harry Harvey Cossentine and his wife Mary Frances (nee McEvoy). He was educated the the Catholic Institute, Hope Street, Liverpool.
In 1914 or 1915 he enlisted in the 2/1st Lancashire Hussars Yeomanry (No.1292) and on 20 October 1915 was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant and posted to the 2/1st East Riding of Yorkshire Yeomanry.
On 10 January 1917 he transferred to the 9th Reserve Regiment of Cavalry and was attached to the North Irish Horse. He embarked for France on 1 April 1917, where he joined the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment in the field. On 1 July 1917 he was promoted to lieutenant.
In February-March 1918 the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment was dismounted and converted to a corps cyclist regiment. This left around a quarter of the officers and men of the regiment surplus to requirements. Between 1 and 13 March nine officers and 66 other ranks left the regiment, all but three of the latter reporting for duty at the Machine Gun Base Depot at Camiers. However following heavy losses in the German offensive at the end of March, most were attached as reinforcements to regular cavalry units of the 1st Cavalry Division. The war diary of the 9th (Queen's Royal) Lancers notes on 3 April that six officers of the North Irish Horse joined the regiment, one of those being Lieutenant Cossentine.
On 3 July Cossentine left the Lancers, transferring to the 3rd (King's Own) Hussars, Special Reserve, but with the rank of 2nd lieutenant. On 18 July 1919 he once again became a lieutenant.
He was demobilised on 2 October 1919 and relinquished his commission in the 3rd Hussars on 1 April 1920.
Lieutenant Cossentine died in 1976.