#archiveanimals* George Thompson and the war horses

The following blog post is based on an exhibit that was on display at the Record Office in early 2012. The diary is now being transcribed by volunteers on the Durham at War project. 

D/DLI 7/700/31 Four soldiers of the 7th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, including Corporal George Thompson, standing left, and Sergeant 'Twankey' Tweddle, seated right, and horse in a field at Marne, July 1918

George Thompson of Sunderland was a Private in the 7^th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, when war was declared on 4 August 1914 and in 1928 he wrote a memoir of his experiences for his daughter. 

After the battalion was mobilised, Thompson was selected to be a transport driver which involved the use of horses.  The government began buying horses and Private Thompson received one from a local contractor.  “I still can remember the old drivers saying take care of him he is quiet and a good worker and will go anywhere. Little did they think what was in store for them.  Same about myself.”

This local transport was passed to the second line of the battalion and the first line received new horses.  Each man got their full service equipment and was responsible for two horses.  The drivers were sent for intense training with the Royal Field Artillery, first learning to ride bareback, then with saddles.  

D/DLI 7/700/24 Private George Thompson holding the bridle of a horse pulling a Vaux Brewery cart with two other 7^th Battalion soldiers seated on the cart, training as transport drivers, c.1914

Shortly after training, the 7^th Battalion left for France and went straight into the Second Battle of Ypres Within the first few days one driver and horse were killed while on a ration run.  The following are extracts from Thompson's memoir:

“I remember one night when we going up with rations they gave us an order to put on our Gas Masks, and we had to put them on our horses. We had some game on with them.”

“The shell holes I have seen, you could have put a pair of horses and a waggon in easily.”

“…our battalion had two years at Ypres. And when the winter came on, it was awful.  Both for men and horses.  I have many a time wondered how those poor horses stood it so long, I have seen them standing up to their knees with mud for days.”

“I can always say, while I had a pair of horses, in France, I always did my duty to them… One out of the two horses that I took away, from Newcastle was still with our Battalion, when I left them, after the war was over…”

“…there was a skin decease [disease], came out among our horses, and the Officer… ordered about 15 horses, to go down the line and one of those 15 was one that I brought out from England… so instead of sending him away we sent another in his place and we built a stable for him away from all the other horses and looked after him ourselves and in a month we had him working with the other horses again.”

During the war, George Thompson rose to the rank of Sergeant.  He saw some terrible sights of men and horses scattered dead and experienced the sadness of injured horses having to be put down.  However, there were infrequent better times when away from the front.

“We had races on the beach as well.  Oh these were our happy days, I shall never forget them.”

*This year’s Explore Your Archive campaign runs during the week of 10 November.  As part of the Twitter campaign, on 14 November, look out for the #archiveanimals hashtag.