Private William James McKenzie
The only evidence of this man's military service discovered to date is contained in the Presbyterian Church in Ireland's Roll of Honour: 1914-1919, which states that he served as a Trooper in the North Irish Horse, lived at Cliftonville Circus, Belfast, and was a member of the Clifton Street Congregation.
He was probably the William James McKenzie born on 10 July 1899 at 260 Hillman Street, Belfast, the second of three children of painter Hugh McKenzie and his wife Martha (née Pelan). His mother died when he was just five years old. At the time of the 1911 Census he was living at 1 Oakville Terrace, Oldpark Road, Belfast, with his father, step-mother, siblings and a half-sister.
Given his age, he probably enlisted in the North Irish Horse in 1917 or 1918, seeing out the war at the regimental reserve depot at Antrim before being demobilised in 1919. (The PCI Roll of Honour states, however, that he was wounded.)
After leaving the army McKenzie returned to his home at Oldpark Road and worked as an apprentice electrical engineer. He died there as a result of valvular heart disease on 4 October 1919, at the age of twenty. He was buried in Dundonald Cemetery.
This page last updated 4 August 2025.