Corporal Edward Forster Ferris
Edward Forster Ferris was born on 27 March 1898 at 235 Spamount Street, Belfast, the first of four children of RIC constable Edward Ferris and his wife Marion Isabella (nee Dunwoody). After his father died in 1904, Edward's mother moved the family to Greaghglass in her native County Monaghan. In 1908 she married farm labourer William Bethel.
Ferris enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 12 May 1915 (No.1540). He may have been encouraged in this by his mother's family, as a number of Dunwoodys had served in the North Irish Horse's predecessor, the North of Ireland Imperial Yeomanry.
Ferris was sent to France in 1916 or early 1917, where he was posted to the 1st or 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment (probably the latter).
On 14 July 1917 the Belfast Newsletter reported that he had recently been wounded.
In September 1917 the 2nd North Irish Horse Regiment was dismounted and most of its men, together with a small number from the 1st Regiment, were transferred to the 9th Battalion, Royal Irish Fusiliers – renamed the 9th (North Irish Horse) Battalion. Like most of the men, Ferris was transferred on 20 September. He was issued a new regimental number – 41269 – and posted to C Company.
At the end of March 1918 Ferris was reported as having been wounded during the battalion's retreat from St Quentin during the German spring offensive. The injury was serious enough to take him out of the war, and he was discharged as no longer physically fit for service on 17 November 1918.