We Remember Them Traditional Cache

A commemorative nano geocache (magnetic), in remembrance of the thousands of horses and mules who served in the First World War. (Note: high muggle area)
Living in the area, it is a special place to our family and our eldest was lucky enough to meet the artist during the making of the commemorative statue, as well as attending the Royal unveiling.

During the First World War there was a massive Remount Camp on Pauncefoot Hill just outside Romsey. In little more than 3 years, it prepared 120,000 horses and mules for war service. After the War the Remount Camp was completely demolished and largely forgotten, but hardcore from the camp was used to raise the ground level of the new War Memorial Park in Romsey.

100 years later, the local people of Romsey decided to commemorate the horses and men who served at the Remount Camp and in their memory a statue was commissioned to stand in the park.
The War Horse statue was placed in Romsey's War Memorial Park and officially opened by Anne, The Princess Royal, in July 2015.

HISTORY OF THE REMOUNT

The Army Remount Service was established in 1887 to provide animals for military service.  It played an important role in South Africa in the Boer War between 1899 and 1902, but it faced its major challenge in 1914 with the outbreak of World War I.  Between the outbreak of war and Armistice in 1918, the Remount Service dealt with more than a million horses and mules in the United Kingdom, over half of which were imported from North America.

In order to handle these animals, a string of camps was set up across the country.  The first of these was on the outskirts of Romsey.  (There was another immediately north of Southampton).
The Romsey camp was established at the summit of Pauncefoot Hill, in the vicinty of Ranvilles Farm and received its first horses in March 1915.  By the end of the war it had processed about 120,000 or around 10% of the animals acquired by the Remount Service.  Its primary function was to train horses and mules for war service.

Some horses came from other camps in England, but those from North America were usually unloaded at Devonport and then came to Romsey by train.  Since they were often semi-wild, their transit through the town centre from the railway to the camp must have been unpleasant for the residents. On arrival the horses were rested in an enclosure known as the kraal and after two or three weeks, their training commenced.  When ready, they were despatched to Southampton for service in Europe.