North Irish Horse - Gallery - In memoriam

In memoriam

Lance Corporal Thomas Stevenson

Thomas Stevenson was born on 9 January 1892 at South Street, Newtownards, County Down, second son of weaver Thomas Stevenson and his wife Agnes (nee McDowell). His father died when he was aged 15.

By 1911 he was working in Newtownards as a grocer's assistant.

Stevenson enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 8 or 9 November 1915 (No.1828).

In November 1916 Stevenson, together with around 100 other North Irish Horsemen, volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles (No.40847). They embarked for France on 7 December, where they joined the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, on the Somme front.

On 16 August 1917 Stevenson's battalion took part in the Battle of Langemarck, part of Third Ypres. The battalion war diary for the day listed 27 other ranks killed, 7 wounded and missing, 170 wounded, and 63 missing.

Stevenson was one of those listed as wounded and missing, but he was later officially recorded as 'presumed dead'.

As he has no known grave he is commemorated on the Tyne Cot Memorial, Zonnebeke, West-Vlanderen, Belgium, Panel 138.

Great War memorial tablet for the fatalities from Regent Street Methodist Church in Newtownards