Private William Morrow

 

The background of this man is not entirely clear, but he appears to have been the William Morrow born on 14 November 1870 in New Street, Newry, County Armagh, the first of nine children of labourer (later cattle dealer and coachman) Henry Morrow and his wife Sarah (née Moore). At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 94 Donnybrook Street, Belfast, with his widowed mother and two of his five surviving siblings, and was working as a coachman.

Morrow enlisted in the 6th (Inniskilling) Dragoons Service Squadron between 28 October and 2 November 1914 (No. UD/70). If he was in fact the man described above he must have understated his age, one military record giving his year of birth as 1880. On 6 October 1915 he embarked for France with his squadron, which was then serving as divisional cavalry to the 36th (Ulster) Division.

In June 1916 the Inniskilling squadron joined with C and F Squadrons of the North Irish Horse to form the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment, serving as corps cavalry to X Corps. In August-September 1917 the Regiment was disbanded, most of its men being transferred to the 9th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers. Morrow, however, was not among them, Between 20 September and 15 October he was transferred to the Labour Corps (No.413827), probably having been found medically unfit for infantry service. He was posted to the newly-formed No.907 Area Employment (Garrison Guard) Company at Rouen.

Morrow remained with the Labour Corps until late August 1918, when he was transferred to the newly formed 43rd (Garrison) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (No. GS/101398) – also based at Rouen.

On 19 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.

Soon after his return home he was living at 22 Liffey Street, Belfast, at the home of his sister Elizabeth Henderson and brother-in-law, coachman Alexander Henderson. He was granted a military pension due to rheumatism, aggravated by his service, the level of disability assessed at 10 per cent in October 1919, and 50 per cent in December 1922.

 

My thanks to Robert Mitchell for identifying this man as a member of the Inniskillings squadron.

 

This page last updated 17 July 2026.