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Lance Corporal Joseph Hill Henderson

 

The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present other than that, based on his enlistment papers, he was born in 1889 at Ballygowan, County Down.

Prior to the war, Henderson worked as a driller for the shipbuilding firm Barklay, Curle & Co, at Whiteinch, Glasgow. On 26 November 1915 he enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Glasgow, joining for duty at Antrim two days later. He was issued regimental number 2002.

Henderson trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp until November 1916, when he and around 100 other North Irish Horsemen volunteered to transfer to the Royal Irish Rifles. The formal transfer took place on 7 December (Henderson was issued regimental number 40875), and on that day the men embarked for France. There they were posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, joining it on the Somme front on 12 December.

Henderson was wounded by shrapnel in his left thigh on 27 March 1918 during the German spring offensive. He was treated at No.97 Field Ambulance, No.10 General Hospital, then No.7 Canadian Hospital before being evacuated to England on 29 March, where he was admitted to Queen Mary's Military Hospital, Whalley, Lancashire. He remained under treatment there until 17 May, when he was transferred to the Queens Park Auxiliary Military Hospital in Blackburn.

Henderson later joined the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, Royal Irish Rifles, and on 26 January 1919 was assessed as fully fit. On 3 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z Army Reserve, his military character recorded as 'very good'.

Immediately after his demobilisation Henderson lived at 56 Ballarat Street, Belfast.