CAPTAIN R. J. MACIVOR

Captain MacIvor, although born near Newtownstewart, County Tyrone, may be said to be a native of Cullybackey by reason of the fact that it was there that his family had its roots.  After completing his training at Marlborough Street Training College, his first teaching appointment was in the Belmont district of Belfast, but the Great War intervened shortly afterwards and he applied for and was granted, after examination, a regular commission.

He was soon on active service in France, where he was wounded and after recovering was gazetted adjutant and posted to the 10thGhurkas, then stationed in India.  That was in 1917, and he remained in India until the Geddis axe was applied to a reduction of the Services, when he returned home after an absence of seven years.

In 1926, less than a year afterwards he was appointed principal of Carninney Public Elementary School on the outskirts of Ballymena and in 1928 he returned to his native heath as principal of the Buick Memorial Public Elementary School.

In his younger days Captain MacIvor was particularly fond of swimming and very adept at trick feats from the diving board but in later years his principal recreation was golf, of which he was no mean exponent, having carried off some of the more important trophies in local club competitions and often in the face of formidable opposition.