THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — These Findon Chronicles were created by Valerie Martin and contains scenes from her home village of Findon, West Sussex, U.K.

A worthy bunch of stable lads.... not at the Findon racing stables but seconded for the duty at their military camp somewhere in the area.   Regiment not known and nor the date.

FINDON'S WAR HORSES

Copyright Valerie Martin 2010

At the beginning of Great War in August 1914......

an Army captain, in the company of a vet, combed our area with what was called "an imperative order" direct from the War Office .......

"To purchase a great number of horses for Army use". 

Horse-drawn carts, vans and wagons belonging to local tradesmen were stopped in the road and the horses removed from between their shafts... they were led away never to be seen again.   

Many owners protested when they saw their livelihoods and modes of transport vanishing.
   

"

Everything must give way to military necessity"
— was the officer's explanation to the dismayed owners as he
commandeered the surprised beasts and handed over compensation for them on the spot as they were confiscated.

What a dreadful shame.    It makes me so sad.   The animals included those belonging to Benjamin Haslett..... they hauled the Worthing lifeboat down the beach to and from the sea.... and even they were sent for the war effort.

Has anyone stories of Findon horses being enlisted belonging to their father or grandfather, I wonder? 

In the nearby town of Worthing, just south of Findon, more than seventy were taken by the army to the Steyne School playing field before being entrusted to army depots and shipped off to the front in the First World War.

Gerald White ex-Shoreham and now in Lincoln, wrote in July 2010...."Hello Valerie.... All the King's Horses.... during the great war, 1914- 1918 Shoreham at Mill Hill, had a huge Recruit training camp, Five divisions of K3 Earl Kitcheners third Army, were trained there, The 24th Division had a ammunition train of Artillery and limber vehicles and carts, which required 500 horses.

Many were brought over from Ireland, having been bred for the purpose, but others were Commandeered by the Army Procurement executive, no doubt livery stables in Findon were relieved of their best horses. Gerald"

 

Gerald added in October 2011......"Hello Valerie, the 24th Division formed at Shoreham Army Camp in 1914, had an Ammunition train consisting of 500 horses.

These horses were commandeered, from all over the local area.

Usually the horses were attended by Soldiers from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.  Although the RAVC had there own blacksmiths, the outbreak of the Great War and vastly increased number of horses, it recruited more'Smiths' to keep the horses in shape. Gerald".

 

Continue to read Who was left in Findon during the Great War?

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THIS IS FINDON VILLAGE — www.findonvillage.com is a continually growing record created by Valerie Martin exclusively for documenting life around Findon and even beyond.

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Do let me know of anything you hear about Findon - not too controversial.   Please note that opinions expressed in the Findon Chronicles are not necessarily reflective of my own thoughts.... but sometimes they are!