Romsey's tribute to horses of world war

There are plans to erect a war horse monument in the town’s War Memorial Park, beneath which lies rubble taken from the Romsey Remount Depot where thousands of horses and mules were kept prior to their departure for the front.

The project follows the success of the project at King John’s House museum during 2011, when hundreds of people created war horse statues.

Interest was fuelled by the stage and screen adaptations of Michael Morpurgo’s War Horse.

The cost of the life-size statue of horse and soldier, to be cast in bronze resin by artist Amy Goodman, will be £55,000.

Among her previous works is the Flying Horse sculpture, which leaps out of a shopping arcade of the same name in Nottingham.

She said: “Being involved with the war horse project is such an honour and I wish to convey the bond between horse and soldier.”

A committee has been set up to steer the project, whose patron will be Major General Patrick Cordingly, who commanded British troops in the first Gulf War.

The project committee will be seeking grants but they also need the help of the public.

Borough councillor Dorothy Baverstock kick-started the fundraising by donating £1,000 from her Community Chest.

A donor has added £1,000 and Peugeot dealers Snows of Romsey have donated £2,000.

Anyone who’d like to make a donation can send a cheque to Horse Fund, c/o the Town Clerk, the Town Hall, Market Place, Romsey, S051 8YZ.

War Horses

ALTHOUGH the Army of 1914-18 was equipped with motors, horses were still the most effective way to move artillery and equipment.

One of the places these horses were trained for their duties was Romsey Remount Depot on
Pauncefoot Hill.

The camp had over 2,000 staff and nearly 120,000 horses and mules passed through the depot
before it closed in 1919.

During the First World War the Remount Service bought 468,000 horses in the UK.

In addition, 688,619 animals came from America to Romsey.