Private Ernest Davenport
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present, although he was probably from England.
Ernest Davenport enlisted in the 3rd (King's Own) Hussars at some point prior to the war (No.4587). On 15 September 1914 he embarked for France, joining his regiment in the field.
In September 1917, as part of a general reduction in the size of the cavalry, a number of men of the 3rd Hussars left the regiment. The war diary of 15 September records that:
56 other ranks of the regiment proceeded by rail from Hesdin to the Rouen Base for transfer to Infantry on the reduction of the 100 dismounted men allowed to Cavalry regiments.
Between 28 and 34 of these men, including Davenport, were transferred to the North Irish Horse, joining the 1st (NIH) Regiment in the field on 11 October. Davenport was issued regimental number 2718.
On 7 January 1918 Davenport was one of thirteen members of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment who transferred to the Tank Corps (No.305512). After training at the Tank Corps depot at Bovington near Wareham, he was posted to the 5th Battalion. Nothing more has been discovered about his service during the war.
A possible clue as to his background has been found in the Red Cross prisoner of war records. At some point during the war a representation was made by a Miss C. Dobson of 80 Ladysmith Road, Etruria, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, seeking information on an Ernest Davenport of the "King's Hussars Cavalry Regiment", No.48573 (very similar to Davenport's Hussars number).