Private George Thompson
George Thompson was born on 7 June 1899 at Portinode, near Kesh, County Fermanagh, the second of eleven children of agricultural labourer George Thompson and his wife Elizabeth (née Johnston). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Portinode with his parents and seven surviving siblings (two more would be born in future years). He later worked as an asylum attendant.
Thompson enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Belfast on 18 August 1917, reporting for duty at Antrim the same day. He was issued regimental number 2664 (later Corps of Hussars No.71949).
On 7 May 1918 at Antrim Thompson was charged with being absent off leave and was awarded two days' comfined to camp.
He embarked for France on 23 November 1918 (twelve days after the war had ended) with a reinforcement draft for the North Irish Horse Cyclist Regiment, joining it in the field on 10 December. On 7 June 1919, with around twenty other North Irish Horsemen, he transferred to the Army Cyclist Corps (No.23906) and was posted to IV Corps Cyclist Regiment, part of the Army of Occupation based in Rolsdorf, Germany.
Thompson was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve, on 12 November 1919. After the war he served as a constable in the Royal Irish Constabulary at Enniskillen.
His name is included on the roll of honour in the Drumkeeran Church, Tubrid, Kesh, County Fermanagh.