Private Samuel Thompson
Samuel Thompson was born on 29 May 1896 at Carnagat, Newry, County Armagh, the only child of labourer James Thompson and his wife Margaret (née Skillen). His mother died a week later. It appears that Samuel was raised by relatives. By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Ballymacdermot, near Newry, with his aunt Mary Thompson and her five children.
Thompson enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 13 May 1915 (No.1542). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France, possibly with E Squadron on 11 January 1916.
During that year, however, it appears that Thompson returned to the UK, probably due to illness. In late 1916 or early 1917 he was transferred to the Military Foot Police (No. P/5878). Between October 1917 and January 1918 he was again transferred, to the Labour Corps (No.520141).
Thompson's health continued to deteriorate, and on 27 March 1918 he was discharged as 'surplus to military requirements, having suffered impairment since entry into the service' (paragraph 392 xvi(a), King's Regulations). He was granted a pension, his level of disability assessed at 20 per cent in January 1920.