Shantara
Well-Known Member
This artical was written by my mother, but I'd love to share it 
The picture was also drawn by her.
War Horse
Having seen the new film about the WW1 War Horse, I remembered being told about an old warhorse that had lived in Water Lane. His field was behind Virginia House Stores, where there are now houses built. He was named Deppa and this seems to have come from the word depot, where he may have worked. It is not known whether he took part in front line duties.
The village children would visit the large grey horse and knew of the military number tattooed on the inside of his mouth.
It occurred to me what a very lucky horse he was to have survived the war, since the odds of ever returning were stacked against him. We could not have won the war without the effort of these animals, who kept the supply lines constant in all conditions and pulled the heavy guns and wagons. There was one horse for every four men taking part in the war. The Army paid good prices for horses over 15 hands that were purchased from farms, factories and mines all over Britain. The best horses were kept for the cavalry.
Battle Charges were the main cause of horse deaths, it took years of this hideous slaughter of both men and horses before the folly of using cavalry against machine guns was realised. Starvation, disease, infection and exhaustion were also the cause of many horse deaths. At the end of the war, the horses suffered the ultimate betrayal, and were sold to French and Belgium butchers for slaughter, or were left in fields to die, since it was thought to be too expensive to ship them home.
Some owners travelled to France to claim their horses, if they could prove ownership, but how Deppa found his way home we do not know, but we hope that he had a peaceful and happy time in Sherington after his military service.
The picture was also drawn by her.
War Horse
Having seen the new film about the WW1 War Horse, I remembered being told about an old warhorse that had lived in Water Lane. His field was behind Virginia House Stores, where there are now houses built. He was named Deppa and this seems to have come from the word depot, where he may have worked. It is not known whether he took part in front line duties.
The village children would visit the large grey horse and knew of the military number tattooed on the inside of his mouth.
It occurred to me what a very lucky horse he was to have survived the war, since the odds of ever returning were stacked against him. We could not have won the war without the effort of these animals, who kept the supply lines constant in all conditions and pulled the heavy guns and wagons. There was one horse for every four men taking part in the war. The Army paid good prices for horses over 15 hands that were purchased from farms, factories and mines all over Britain. The best horses were kept for the cavalry.
Battle Charges were the main cause of horse deaths, it took years of this hideous slaughter of both men and horses before the folly of using cavalry against machine guns was realised. Starvation, disease, infection and exhaustion were also the cause of many horse deaths. At the end of the war, the horses suffered the ultimate betrayal, and were sold to French and Belgium butchers for slaughter, or were left in fields to die, since it was thought to be too expensive to ship them home.
Some owners travelled to France to claim their horses, if they could prove ownership, but how Deppa found his way home we do not know, but we hope that he had a peaceful and happy time in Sherington after his military service.