Private Thomas Pyper

 

Thomas Pyper was born on 18 January 1894 at Moneyrea, County Down, the ninth of twelve children of farmer Samuel Pyper and his wife Margaret Jane (nee Duncan). By 1911 he was living with his family at Moneyrea and working as a tailor.

Pyper enlisted in the North Irish Horse between 2 and 4 November 1915 (No.1783 – later Corps of Hussars No.71558). He embarked for France between 1916 and 1918, probably as part of a reinforcement draft for one of the three squadrons of the 1st North Irish Horse Regiment.

He survived the war and on 13 February 1919 was transferred to Class Z, Army Reserve.

After the war Pyper worked as a merchant tailor and on 19 December 1921 married book-keeper Annie Lytle Stewart at Comber, County Down.

 

Pyper's younger brother William James enlisted in the Royal Irish Rifles on 2 February 1916, but was discharged three weeks later when it was discovered that he was only sixteen years old.