Private Benjamin Craig
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not certain. He may, however, be the Josiah William Benjamin James Craig born on 8 November 1895 at Kildare's Crew, near Ardglass, County Down, the second of five children of farmer Josiah Craig and his wife Elizabeth (née Horner). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Kildare's Crew with his parents and siblings and working on the family farm.
Craig enlisted in the North Irish Horse at some point following the declaration of war in August 1914 (regimental number unknown). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp until November 1916, when he and around 100 other North Irish Horsemen volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles. The formal transfer took place on 7 December (Craig was issued regimental number 40929), and on that day the men embarked for France. There they were posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, joining it on the Somme front on 12 December.
He later transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers (No.29072) where, records suggest, he was posted to the 2nd Garrison Battalion.
By 1921 Craig was living at Killough, County Down, and working as a railwayman. On 27 April that year he married Sarah Jane McCance in the Killough Church of Ireland Parish Church.