CENTENARY OF THE FIRST WORLD WAR 1914 - 1918
REMEMBERING THE WAR HORSE AND OTHER ANIMALS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR US
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THE ROMSEY WAR HORSE
MEMORIAL PROJECT
Patron: Major General Patrick Cordingley DSO DSc FRGS
The entrance to Romsey Memorial Park is due to be redesigned and as part of that work, it has been thought that the town should acknowledge its association with the Army Remount Service and the thousands of horses and mules which passed through Romsey during the First World War, many to their deaths. A small committee has been set up to steer the project and Major-General Cordingley has kindly agreed to be patron of the appeall.
It has been decided to commission a life-sized statue to commemorate the Romsey Remount Depot and its animals. A sum of £55,000 is needed for the costs. The equestrian artist Amy Goodman of Quarley has been retained to undertake the design in bronze resin
It is planned to have the whole project completed before April 2015, which the centenary of the opening of the Romsey Remount Depot.
Amongst the Officers at the Romsey Remount Depot was Captain Lional Edwards the respected equestrian artist, famous for hunting scenes. During his time with the Army Remount Service he continued to draw and paint and used the horses and men around him as his models.
The 'Pals' logo for the Romsey Remount Depot was an inspiration which captured the important bond between horse and soldier, as was later Munnings' painting of Jack Seely and Warrior.
Before it closed in 1919, 120,000 horses passed through the Romsey Depot. At any one time there were at least 2100 men caring for up to 5000 horses on this hilltop a mile outside Romsey.
Many horses from North America were landed at Devonport. They were met by men from Romsey and brought to the town by train. They were then led through the town centre and up Pauncefoot Hill to the camp. On arrival the horses were taken to the kraal, which was a reception centre, where they wer rested for two to three weeks. They were often unbroken and somewhat wild.
The Romsay Camp, which covered over fifty acres, consisted of a Headquarters area, a Veterinary Hospital, and ten squadrons, each of which cared for horses and mules as needed.
When trained, the animals were taken to the nearby establishment at Swaythling which was a transit camp from which the horses were shipped from Southampton to France. Later in the War some horses were sent direct from Romsey.
An unique opportunity to buy a very special limited edition maquette and contribute directly to The War Horse Memorial Project.
The sculptor Amy Goodman is producing just nine bronze and fifteen bronze-resin copies of the proposed sculpture for Romsey Memorial Park.
Each bronze-resin copy will cost £2,850; and each bronze copy will cost £5,995. All will be mounted on either a beautiful stone or hardwood base, whichever the client would prefer. Please let us know whether you would like to reserve one or find out a little bit more.
