Captain John Edward Pittaway
John Edward Pittaway was born in 1866. He enlisted in the 10th Hussars in 1884 and served with that Regiment until 1902, including a period in the South African War, rising to the rank of Squadron Sergeant Major. He then assisted in the formation of the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry (and in 1908 the North Irish Horse), becoming its first Regimental Sergeant Major. In 1913 he became honourary Lieutenant and Quartermaster of the Regiment.
Pittaway served throughout the war as Lieutenant and Quartermaster of the North Irish Horse, being promoted to Captain on 1 July 1917. Apart from a brief trip to Rouen as the officer in charge of a group of reinforcements in February 1915, he spent the war at the Regiment's headquarters at Antrim. He was demobilized on 21 July 1919.
After the war Pittaway applied in vain for an officer's pension. He died on 10 March 1921 at Belfast. After much effort his widow, Louisa, was provided a small allowance by the Officers' Association.
Image from the Belfast Evening Telegraph, 12 March 1921, kindly provided by Nigel Henderson (see Fitzroy Presbyterian Church: Wartime Service and Sacrifice).