Private John Richard Tilson
John Richard Tilson was born on 6 June 1894 at Cornagrow, Kilnaleck, County Cavan, the first of two children of farmer Humphrey Tilson and his wife Jane (née McCawley). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at Cornagrow with his parents, brother and his two paternal grandparents.
Tilson enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 19 March and 2 April 1913 (No.820 – later Corps of Hussars No.71116). He embarked for France with C Squadron on 20 August 1914, seeing action on the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne. C Squadron then served as corps headquarters cavalry until April 1915, when it was attached as divisional cavalry to the 3rd Division.
From 28 April to 10 May 1915 he was treated for a minor illness at the 4th Stationary Hospital, St Omer.
At some point prior to this he had been transferred to A Squadron of the North Irish Horse, which had left Ireland for France on 17 August 1914. A Squadron served as escort and bodyguard to the BEF's commander-in-chief at St Omer from October 1914 until January 1916, when it was posted as divisional cavalry to the 55th Division. In May 1916 A, D and E Squadrons of the North Irish Horse were combined to form the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist regiment.
This meant a 25 per cent reduction in the regiment's numbers, most of the surplus men being transferred, initially to the Machine Gun Base Depot at Camiers, but then (on 3 April) as reinforcements for the regiments of the 9th Cavalry Brigade (the 8th (King's Royal Irish) Hussars, the 15th (The King's) Hussars, and the 19th (Queen Alexandra's Own Royal) Hussars). It is probable that Tilson was among the men transferred at this time.
He returned home in 1919 where, on 15 April, he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
On 26 January 1922 he married Elizabeth Porter in the Ballyjamesduff Presbyterian Church, County Cavan.
I am grateful to Eddie Garvey, Tilson's grandson, for providing the photograph and some of the information above.
This page last updated 2 July 2026.