Then Aug 4 1914 was in bed at Soulbury[?] when telegram arrived “mobilized @ noon” I knew there was ‘trouble’ but it had been got out of so often before that I did not worry. I had been over to Munden the day before and on the way back came across Archie Clayton1 with his bicycle sheltering under a scotch fir (still there 1969) on the Watford side of the short hill into Boxmoor. “Hello Archie what are you doing?” Ive been all day in London trying to buy a revolver.” “Have you really. Are you going to shoot yourself?” “Don’t be a fool. Don’t you know there will be a war tomorrow.” (As he failed to shock him, he proceeded to tell him that a barrow full of preventatives had been picked up in the bank after the first camp weekend.)
I got into uniform & set off in my car. I’d just had my field boots taken in & before long my legs began to throb. (At end of day I had to cut them off.) Then put on Tom Hall gaiters & ankle boots & wore them really all the war. Still got the gaiters (1969)
Watford was the scene for the next days or two. Men began to arrive and had to be put in a Cinema. Straw for them. Horses began to arrive and stables had to be found. We soon found that the available horses had mostly been booked for the regular army as well as our people. A horse would arrive for the Yeomanry & be whisked off by the regular army remount officer2 who had been to its owner found it gone and trailed it to us! My Father arrived to help if possible and was sent off to buy horses. I had had a sale not long before, only had 2 left which came & was given £100 each. £70 said to be top price unless special. Awful to take them to blacksmith to be hoof branded with broad arrow. Spent first night in Clarendon Hotel. Father, brother and I in same bedroom. Brother & I in same bed. As the light went out my father said “Damn the Kaiser” This took till Sat 8 when we got up at 4.20 a.m. Such a muddle in Drill Hall yard. Men struggling to get on unsuitable horses. Kit falling off. We helped each man & somebody was sent up to where Elstree Road leaves to stop any runaways. A steeplechaser of Dealtry Parts [?] caused trouble ridden by Foster an advertisement man in W.H. Smiths.
Got to Elstree Sat Aug 8th My troop in a job yard stable. The rest in an old brew house. Most of the horses had never seen a nose bag. They were tied up to a rope stapled into a wall. An enormous old iron stove in the middle. At 11.0 when we were having dinner in came Serg Pusey to say they had pulled the rope out of the wall, were all hounding about with the stove in the middle. My brother & I were sent to sort it out, did so with only 1 horse badly kicked. A Corp. Garwood was a great help. Bed at 1.0. Quite a ‘day’ as we got up 4.30!
Sun 9th
Thro Ponders End, Buckhurst Hill, Romford, Brentwood and on to Mount Nessing [Mountnessing]. Lot of demounted walking to ease horses green backs. We were here till Mon 17th Had an expedition back to Watford to pick up some more horses. “Quinton” was tied up to the rails round a tree. Pulled the rails up, careered off attached to them!
The Col. (H. Abel-Smith) came over with new Vet (Castle) and was very pleased with the horses that Father had collected even although a 17 hand short tailed chestnut brougham horse with action was hardly suitable!
Mon 17th
Reveille 4.0. Main road to Chelmsford Night at Bloomfield. Horse tied up in a field Most of them tearing about all night. Hugh was called to extricate a wagon horse which had rolled under the wagon.
Tues. 18th
Thro Braintree to farm called Lyons Hall. Slept in open, felt real campaignmen! Archie Clayton joined us, immediately made himself felt. I suppose he must have been one of the most efficient Yeoman in the army. Knew it all, expected it to be done! Such a nuisance.
Wed 19th
A rest on the way to Sudbury
To Holbrook Hall3. Horses had to be watered from a pump. Slept in open again. Arnold had been in his boots for three nights.
Th. 20
Mercifully did not have to move. Drill in a stubble field. One man had left his rifle behind at the last billet.
Friday 21
Thro Lavenham, Bury St Edmunds, Mansangon[?], to March. Arnold the leader. Cockney favourite song
Janennte song:
Toddling home on Sunday morning
“ “ the rain was pouring
First we stopped at every street, lane
When we got to the bottom why we turned around again
Everyone for home was yearning
Stop at the door at every turning
I got hold of Johnson hand
He got hold of mine
We danced a ring of roses, we all fell down
Never heard before or since!
Arrived Wordwell Farm Culford. Sandy soil.
Sat 22.
‘Every’ horse had pulled her peg. All over the place. Squadron parade. Hugh made a speech asking the men to Volunteer for foreign service. Having said so he said he was going to give the order for those that would volunteer to step forward three paces. The whole lot did except Foster in my troop. His pals turned round, said “Come on Foster boy” but he did not move. Hugh then said “fall in that man” I was told to find out what the trouble was Foster said he had promised his widowed mother not to go overseas without further discussion. The point of this story is that when we actually came to going Foster came but a very large percentage did not! I was given two nights leave as wife3 going to have baby. Had to be back by Reveille on Mon 24. (Did you ever hear such rot) so had to leave Putteridge (near Luton) 4.20 Saw endless coveys of partridge near Newmarket by roadside, dusting[?] (Wonder how many you’d see now 1969) on parade at 8.15. In my diary I had put down that I saw an aeroplane! Discovered that one of the other squadrons slept in their clothes in case of a sudden turn out! Slept in doors Dulling[?], riding school. Archie said how much good mobilisation had done us. This went on until Mon 31 when we heard we were for Egypt. Had to pick out 150 horses to take. Decided not to take my two. Would rather they suffered out of sight.
Sept 1.
Allowed to go home to collect various things & stay till next day. TMC (father in law) gave me his revolver
Sept 3.
The Col offered me the chance to stay behind because of the baby coming. Did not know what to do. Remount officer came, took away the horses we did not want. Mine went. Misery, entirely bewildered as to what to do. I see I had put down “Reveille trumpet nearly drove me mad”
Sept 5.
Kit inspection got a telegram “Daughter born” They sent a car over for me. Off I went. Wife too ill to really know me.
Sun 6
Had to be back by Reveille! Rubbish. Up at 4.0 said goodbye. The first of many. Awful. Saw 46 coveys of partridges on the road.
Mon 7
Our Col not passed5;7. New one called Harrison6 Boer War. Leicester Yeomanry. Parade 10.10 to meet him. He made a hair raising speech owing to drunk too much. Entirely awful.
Old Col made just the right goodbye speech
I had been medically passed. Never looked below the waist so my truss was missed & I had passed! Put all the saddle in pieces in sacks. Recruits arrived to take place of those who would not volunteer. Some had never been on a horse in their lives.
Notes:
1 Archibald Charles William Clayton (24th October 1867 – 1944), Captain. Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry September 1914 – October 1915 (A Squadron Egypt; Dardanelles. Temporary Major while commanding squadron 28th August 1914); and November 1916 – April 1919 (D Squadron – Mesopotamia. Commanding squadron. Despatches twice.)
2 The Army Remount Service was responsible for purchasing & training horses and mules for the British Army between 1887 and 1942, cf. http://www.hobyanddistricthistory.co.uk/the-army-remount-service/
3 Holbrook Hall near Sudbury, Suffolk
4 Thurston married Viola Mary Clutterbuck in 1912.
5 Col Abel H Smith, aged 51, failed to pass as fit for service abroad. Abel Henry Smith (6th December 1862 – 10th November 1930) Served 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry August – September 1914; 2nd/1st Hertfordshrie Yeomanry September 1914 – April 1916; and in command of Territorial Force Depot, Hertford May 1916 – January 1917 (‘B’ List) He lived at Woodhall park near Hertford
6 Lt/Col Thomas Elliot Harrison D.S.O. (14th June 1862 – 3rd March 1939) Recalled from retired list, Leicestershire Yeomanry, to be Lieutenant-Colonel, Hertfordshire Yeomanry 9th September 1914. He commanded 1st/1st Hertfordshire Yeomanry 1914 – January 1915 in Egypt. He was transferred to Territorial Force Reserve (Regimental List) 19th January 1915.
7 J D Sainsbury in “The Hertfordshire Yeomanry. An illustrated History 1794 – 1920” writes “To the intense regret of all ranks, the second-in-command, Major S.G. Sheppard was not promoted to take Colonel Abel Smith’s place; instead, Lieutenant-Colonel T.E Harrison, D.S.O. was ‘dug out’ from the retired list of the Leicestershire Yeomanry and posted to the regiment.”
HALS reference: D/EYO/2/131
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