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Private William Kilpatrick

 

William Kilpatrick was born on 21 February 1891 at Aughtagh, Cumber, County Londonderry, the first of three children of farmer Samuel Kilpatrick and his wife Ellen (nee Clarke). By 1911 he was living with his parents and one sibling at Tully More, Ballyarr, County Donegal, and working on the family farm.

Kilpatrick enlisted in the North Irish Horse at Letterkenny on 12 November 1909 (No.418). He embarked for France with C Squadron on 20 August 1914, seeing action in the retreat from Mons and advance to the Aisne.

Soon after, he may have become ill or been wounded, for on 28 October 1914 he returned to the UK. However on 20 January 1915 he returned to France with a small group of reinforcements for A and C Squadrons.

When Kilpatrick's term of service ended he chose to leave the army. He left France and on 31 October 1915 and was discharged on 11 November as 'time expired'. His record of service was marked as 'very good'.