大象传媒

Still at school when war broke out. I was old enough to do some war work, so I heard about an Army Remount Depot that needed girls to look after, exercise, feed and keep fit army horses. In 1942 I entered service at the army depot at Melton. I started as a strapper (groom) earning 拢2.3 in old money. Being civilians we lived in digs, my land lady charged 拢2/0/0 per week when I was nineteen years old, my wage was raised to 拢2 four shillings and my land lady put up my keep two shillings.
It was heavy work and we were allowed seven days leave a year.
The Horses were all broken to harness and eventually issued to the troops, pulling G.S. (general service) wagons. The few horses, which would not tolerate harness, were turned out for the rest of the war. There were several Pack ponies, cobs of about14 hands high. These were issued to troops in Wales and Scotland so that they could be taught how to handle the ponies, put on their pack-saddles, and generally keep them fit and healthy. We had to ride and lead them to Melton station, bare back and no hats. We were responsible for loading the ponies in cattle trucks, the last one in, and the girl leading it had to scramble out over the backs of the ponies. Many weeks later we were sent to the station to ride them back to the depot.

The pack ponies were kept on lines, long wooden sheds, the ponies were tied mangers running the length of the line, divided by bales (heavy wooden planks) suspended from the roof by chains. Feeding time was very dangerous the ponies fought and kicked each other, bales swung about, we had to dash in with the feeds, in the winter no light, due to it being impossible to black out the stables. We were frequently visiting injured girls in hospital.

Many of the older girls who lived locally, had hunted and were expert riders, we lesser mortals were eventually promoted to become riders. We were issued with a saddle and two bridles. We then followed the foreman rider, Harry Rixon, who said one two as we went along the lines and we had to ride and lead round the road in a string of riders. We some time had mules to ride in the indoor school, were we tried to play tick on, not very successful as the had a strong idea, to do what they wanted to do, which might be to lie down!!

When the war was over the Household Horses went to Windsor. Many new ones were brought to Melton to be trained. The pack ponies were sold in Melton market. We also took some up to The Elephant and Castle repository. We had special over night trains, then rode and led from St. Pancreas to the Elephant across London not a lot of traffic at that time.

We were given a typed notice that due to returning soldiers we would no longer be required.

Many years after the war, I returned to the depot as a chief examiner for the B.H.S. All the candidates were excellent. It is now named the Animal Defence Establishment.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.