WW1 postcards (1914-1918)

Post date: Feb 17, 2014 11:31:52 AM

Amongst the postcards of the village in the Wallis collection of cards are several with WW1 dates (and others with nearby dates.) These cards can be seen by following this link

https://picasaweb.google.com/110621013105702263502/WallisCardCollectionWateringburyNettlestead

Among the messages on these cards are the following relating to WW1. On a card of Brattles Mill with no stamp or postmark but message implies during WW1 as says "Soldiers taking all the horses worth taking, and numerous rumours that do not appear in the papers." Of the million horses that were sent abroad from the U.K., during WW1 only 62,000 returned, the rest dying in the war or slaughtered in France for meat. This mass conscription of horses had a massive social and economic impact particularly in agricultural areas like Wateringbury. Max Hastings in Catastrophe (p 522) states that The British took 53,000 horses to France in 1914 with over 13,000 dead by the end of the year. The Royal Army Vetinary corps was just 360 personnel at start of war and increased to 28,000 by the end. Heavy plough horses proved unsuitable for artillery purposes and their feet were particularly vulnerable to the wet weather. Large numbers imported from Canada also proved not very suitable and non-barn-reared horses from the Dakotas, U.S. proved the most suitable. Much mistreatment occurred from ignorance.

The book/play/film War Horse reflects this. Although commandeering was ruthless there was a generious scale of compensation -£40 for a troop horse and £60 for an officer's charger.

Pte F. Spice served in the BEF with the Army Veterinary Corps reported as follows in a letter: I have been with the Expeditionary Force since the 16th August, and was with the retreat from Amiens, but since that we have been attending sick and wounded horses.

Pte George Maytum of the Army Service Corps had an accident when stationed at Ascot he was "exercising some of the very wild and half-broken Canadian horses" when his horse shied and he broke his arm. Horses were imported from Canada , US and Argentina for use by the BEF.

Reported in the South Eastern gazette of October 20th 1914 as sold at Maidstone Michaelmas fair :

Other horses sold were:—Mr. O. English’s (Wateringbury) bay cart mare “Dolly,” 22 guineas.

Messrs. S. and W. Phillips’ (Wateringbury) bay cart horse for 44 guineas, and his brown cart

horse 32 guineas, to Mr. Johnson.

Another postcard showing Gransden with a Maidstone 1914 postmark says But our town is awfully upset with the war