Second Lieutenant Thomas Hugh Morrow
Thomas Hugh Morrow was born on 12 November 1889 at Mount Alexander, Comber, County Down, the tenth of eleven children of famer Hugh Morrow and his wife Ellen (née Simpson). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Mount Alexander with his parents, four of his seven surviving siblings and a niece, and was working as a draper's assistant.
Morrow enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 20 August and 20 September 1915 (No.1722 – later Corps of Hussars No.71521). He was one of four members of the North Down Cricket Club to have joined the regiment, the others being William G.A. Withers, Donald Saunders Graham and James Mitchell Alexander.
He trained at the regiment’s reserve depot at Antrim, where he was posted to No. 2 Troop of B Squadron.
In mid or late 1916 he embarked for France with a reinforcements draft. There he was posted to one of the three squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment – possibly D Squadron. This Regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps 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.
A number of letters that he wrote home from Antrim and France in 1916 and 1917 give an insight into the activities of the regiment and the interests and concerns of its men.
On 26 April 1916 he wrote the following letter from Antrim to his brother, referring to the Easter Rising in Dublin:
Dear Willie
We are getting a quick move from here to-morrow Thursday in the direction of Castledawson, where we are to meet the infantry, we are to be billeted here for the night, this is about 35 miles. I don’t know where we are going to, but we expect to have some trouble. This is bad work in Dublin. I thought we were going there. Both B and H squadrons are going. We are having a great time packing up. I’ll drop a line in a day or so, and let you know where we are.
On 25 November 1916 he wrote from France:
Dear Willie
... The weather here has been a bit wintry this last few weeks, both frost and rain, but we are fairly well off here, get all the clothes we require, we got a p[ai]r of gloves each served out to-day and the other day we got new cardigan jackets each. We are getting those big top boots, some day soon, I wear leggings nearly all the time they are handy, better than puttees. I only know about three on this photo you sent, I see sergeant Magee is on it. Maggie and Bessie met him at B Mena, they would know him, there happens to be a brother here on the police with me, I was showing him the photo.
On 13 June 1917 he wrote from France:
Dear Willie
I have received your letter allright, and the parcel, ...
How did Ballygowan go? I suppose it was as good as ever, a lot of people there. Bob Craigan was just speaking to me about it, a day or two ago, ... he is just after coming in to tell me that he is going home for his Commission in about a week, but I knew he had his papers in and was expecting to hear of it any time, so he is leaving me anything that he doesn't require. he will be up at our house, as soon as he gets home, so you can look out for him, he is glad to get a run home, he is good crack if you get him started.
I'll miss him here, as I have seen him pretty regular lately, he and Billy Duff, and Billy Gordon were great pals as he knew Duff well, being about the Islands [in Strangford Lough] so much with Miss Wilson. they are both in this Squadron with Officers Major & Captain.
Willie Withers is gone to the hosp.(?). I don't think he is getting home, he is got too old for the cavalry work.
I hear the N. I. H. was to give a display at Ballymena Show this year again. Did you hear anything about it? How did the prizes go at Ballygowan. Have you heard anything of Tom McRobert (1) since he came out?
What about Hugh Hill is he in England yet.
Hope this finds all well as I am at present.
[He also notes in a postscript Harry Mercer is going home with Craigan.]
In a letter dated 21 and 23 September 1917 he wrote:
Dear Wille
I received your letter here some time ago, but as I was writing to Maggie at the time, I thought I would wait for a day or two to see if anything fresh would turn up, but there is nothing very strange to write about. What about James Alexander? did you have any word from him since he went to England.
... James Alexander is expected to be home soon. he will have some great tales to tell, when he gets home. Most of our boys are up the line at present, bringing down prisoners, and guarding them in cages, I think we have got a lot this time, and are getting on well. I am left behind again as I was Orderly Cpl. last week when they went up, but have plenty to do here, we have 15 horses to look after between three of us. I see Jacob [Horner] has not got to Belfast yet, it is a great pity about him.
I missed seeing Gervan Strange (2) when I was over seeing the Ulster Div., and I heard afterwards from Jack O'Prey, that he was here. I see Bobby Baxter (3) is married this time allright, I thought he was long ago. And Jim Proctor (4) is supposed to be a prisoner, all the better if he is, but it is hard to tell.
Some say this will be over this year, but I'm not too sure yet.
Our Major Lord Farnham has left us, and is gone to the 10th Batt[alion] R. I. F. Billy Duff is his groom and is gone with him, he was sorry at leaving us. There are lots of Canadians, and Australians about here now, but I would not know where to look for any of the boys, unless I know their address. Well I don't think it will be very long until I get a run home now, as there are a good many getting leave now but we have to wait our turn. I saw in the Saturday Night, where there was a bit of a scrap at the match between Distillery, and Cliftonville, that doesn't look well. I also see that Comber have a team this year. is it any good? we have some very good matches here at times, and can raise a very good team in the Regiment and win mostly all the matches we play. I haven't had any word from W. Cooper so far but will be looking for his letter. I got another parcel of cigarettes from Uncle James, not long since. You can tell Maggie that I got the parcel she sent allright. It just came after I had the letter away to her. the cake she sent in it was very good. those boxes she send[s] them in now keep them quite safe. Remember me to all the boys. Hope this finds all well.
At some point, probably in 1918, Morrow applied for a commission in the cavalry, returning to the UK for officer cadet training. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant on 13 March 1919 and posted to the 3rd Reserve Regiment of Cavalry at Aldershot. (One record states that he had been demobilised and transferred to Class Z of Army Reserve on 5 February 1919, but this appears to be an error.) He relinquished his commission on 1 September 1921.
By 1940 Morrow was living as a farmer at Ballyhanwood, County Down. On 22 March that year he married Phyllis Gray Shanks in the Castlereagh Presbyterian Church. He died on 8 September 1946 in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, and was buried in the Comber Churchyard.
His name is included on the First World War Memorial in the Comber Unitarian Church, and on the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Roll of Honour: 1914-1919.
Notes: Others mentioned in Morrow's letters:
(1) 2nd Lieutenant Thomas McRoberts (formerly Rifleman 17/1888), son of Thomas and Jane McRoberts of Castle Street, Comber, was serving in the 15th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, when he was killed in action on 13 August 1917. He is buried in the Tyne Cot Cemetery.
(2) Rifleman Robert Girvan Strange (13/19866), apprentice engineer, son of William Robert and Margaret Jane Strange of Railway Street, Comber, 13th and 12th Battalions, Royal Irish Rifles, went to France with the 36th (Ulster) Division on 5 October 1915 and survived the war.
(3) Bombadier Robert Baxter, 53rd Battery, Royal Field Artillery, of Castle Street, Comber, son of labourer James Baxter, married Mary Jane Sharkie on 30 August 1917.
(4) Sergeant James Proctor (18594), of Railway Street, Comber, brewer, husband of Mary (nee Niblock), son of John and Barbara Proctor, 13th Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, was killed in action on 16 August 1917.
Antrim Camp, c.1916
Morrow and fellow Horsemen, France, c.1917
Silk postcards sent home to his family
I am most grateful to Richard Morrow for providing these images of his father, and some of the above information. The image of the Comber Unitarian Church memorial was sourced from the website The War Dead of North Down & Ards.
This page last updated 27 August 2025.