Private William Craig
This North Irish Horseman appears to be the William Craig born on 25 August 1895 at Dunminning, Rasharkin, County Antrim, the third of seven children of servant (later agricultural labourer) William Craig and his wife Lizzie (née McFadden). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at nearby Ballywatermoy with his parents, siblings and maternal grandmother, and working as a farm labourer.
Craig enlisted in the North Irish Horse betwen 13 and 15 November 1915 (No.1864 – later Corps of Hussars No.71601). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and 1918, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment. This regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps from its establishment in May 1916 until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Craig remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 3 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
After the war Craig lived with his family at Moylena, Muckamore, Antrim, and worked as a cloth passer. On 2 April 1934 he married Catherine (Cassie) Reford in the First Antrim Presbyterian Church.
One of Craig's brothers, James, also served in the war, in the Royal Irish Rifles.