The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918Bewsher, F. W. (Frederick William)
History
The History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918
Bewsher, F. W. (Frederick William)
Great Britain. Army. Division, 51st (Highland); World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories -- Great Britain
What has been said applies to all units more or less, but while
technical units, such as ambulances, transport companies, signal
company, and engineers came on very fast, the artillery moved slowly in
the direction of preparedness for war. They had ancient "pieces," poor
and ill-fitting harness, while only in a few cases was any knowledge of
"horse management" evident. Thus, care of horses, riding and driving,
had to be instilled from the beginning. Added to this, the horses of all
mounted units, and the vehicles of transport, had been commandeered in a
great hurry on mobilisation, and were consequently rather a handicap.
New vehicles came necessarily very slowly, but with drastic castings and
the ever-ready assistance of the Remount Department, the horse question
rapidly improved. It is interesting here to record, in connection with
remounting, that a hundred polo ponies were sent to England as a present
from the "Zemindars" of Madras. They were not looked on with favour by
other units; but the G.O.C., with considerable experience of such
animals, gladly accepted the offer of them by the Director of Remounts,
with the result that the company commanders and staffs of the Highland
Division went to France better mounted than any other.
There were two notable exceptions regarding "horse management." One was
the Highland Mountain Brigade, which came down with a splendid lot of
pack ponies, and made a very creditable turn-out from the first. The
other was one of the transport companies, which showed considerable
knowledge and good work in respect of its animals. It must, however, be
common knowledge that the Highlands is not the best place from which to
obtain, in a hurry, four or five thousand good army horses, nor are
Highlanders, as a rule, "horsey" people. But in spite of all this the
improvement was wonderful, the interest taken in their animals was most
creditable to the various units, and the Division was fortunate in
digging out a lot of very useful transport officers.
So training went on in its various branches, units gradually completing
in personnel, and by December Divisional exercises were attempted.
Inspections by the Commander of the Central Force, and later by his
Majesty the King, gave a useful fillip to the proceedings, and if there
was one thing more than another which made successful training possible
under adverse circumstances, it was the grand spirit of all ranks, and
the determination of all to "play the game"--a spirit common to all
Territorial units of the kingdom. No praise can be too great for the
regimental officers and men.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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