History Report for meeting on 19th November 2012

We had a total of 19 people attend our meeting-17 U3A members and two visitors from Romsey Bowls Club- to watch a digital presentation entitled "Romsey Remount" presented by Phoebe Merrick from LTVAS(Lower Test Valley Archaeology Society. The tallk lasted about 1 and 1/2 hours described how this camp was set up on the hill overlooking Romsey in 1914 to hold and train horses for the war- and when ready to ship them out from Southampton to Flanders. In addition to this camp there was an even larger one at Swaythling, and also one in Dublin for all the Irish horses. In addition a large number came from the U.S.A. One received the horses were rested,sorted into classes depending on what they were suitable for, trained and then shipped to Flanders. It is estimated that at the Romsey camp there were about 2000 army and civilian staff and about 5000 horses at any one time, The organisation necessary for this operation was massive but was necessary as in the first world war still-horses were the only way of moving everything around at and near the battlefield.. It closed after the end of the war, all the buildings were sold off, and the rubble was taken into Romsey and was an ideal mix with the wet ground of Sweetmead field to build up the land and so the Romsey Memorial Park came into existence in 1921. It was a very good talk and was enjoyed by all.
The next meeting is on Monday 21/1/13 and the topic is "Romsey on the Test"
 Michael Page
BBC News item
Tens of thousands of horses went through
 Romsey Remount Depot