Private Alexander Humphries
The background of this North Irish Horseman is not known at present. It is possible, however, that he was the Alexander Humphries born on 1 September 1893 in Derryadd, Lurgan, County Armagh, the third of seven children of labourer Alexander Humphries and his wife Margaret (née Castles). By the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 77 Donegall Avenue, Belfast, with his parents, siblings and a cousin, and working as a grocer's apprentice.
Humphries enlisted in the North Irish Horse on 11 November 1915 (No.1844 – later Corps of Hussars No.71588). He trained at the regiment's Antrim reserve camp before embarking for France sometime between 1916 and 1918, where he was posted to one of the squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment. This regiment served as corps cavalry to VII, XIX, then V Corps from its establishment in May 1916 until February-March 1918, when it was dismounted and converted to a cyclist unit, serving as corps cyclists to V Corps until the end of the war.
Humphries remained with the regiment throughout the war. On 1 March 1919 he was demobilised and transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.
The Alexander Humphries from Derryadd lived at 77 Donegall Avenue after the war. On 5 October 1921 he married Patricia Nesbitt in the Drew Memorial Church (St Philip's), Belfast. He died on 8 March 1957 and was buried in the City Cemetery.