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Horsemen discharged as 'time expired'

 

While most who served in the British army during the war were in it ‘for the duration’, those who had enlisted in peacetime had signed on for a fixed period - four years for those in the North Irish Horse.  In the event of war, twelve months was automatically added to their remaining time. After that, however, their original contract held, and they could leave the army as 'time expired'.

The loss of men from the army was significant enough for the government to change the rules for everyone but older men in June 1916.

Prior to that however, some thirty-nine North Irish Horsemen, about a third of those who had the opportunity, chose the 'time expired' option when their term expired. Their names are listed below.

Note: An '*' denotes that the man later re-enlisted.