Corporal Richard Switzer Daniels
Richard Switzer Daniels was born on 29 March 1894 at Raheenarran, Kilmaganny, County Kilkenny, the second of eight children of farmer George Daniels and his wife Annie Elizabeth (née Switzer). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Bagenalstown, County Carlow, at the home of provision merchant George Browne Donald, where he worked as a grocery apprentice.
Daniels enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 28 April 1915 (No.1498 – later Corps of Hussars No.71405). On 22 September that year he embarked for France with a reinforcement draft. There he was posted to either A or D Squadron.
In May 1916 A, D and E Squadrons came together to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when the regiment was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Daniels remained with the regiment throughout the war, though how much time he spent in France and Belgium and how much at the Antrim depot is not known at present. At some point he suffered a dislocation of his left elbow.
On 31 January 1919 he was discharged as 'surplus to military requirements, having suffered impairment since entry into the service' (paragraph 392 xvi (a), King's Regulations).
By 1933 Daniels was living at Kilmaganny and working as sub-postmaster. On 3 October that year he married Alice A Smyth in the Northumberland Hall, Rathdown, County Dublin. He later became a farmer. He died on 10 April 1968 at his home, Cloneview, Kilmaganny.