Swaythling Remount Depot, Hampshire

[harryfleming]

As part of a project to restore the War Shrine at North Stoneham Park, on the edge of Southampton in Hampshire, we are gathering information about the local area during the Great War.

http://www.northstoneham.org.uk/warshrine/history/index.html

In 1914 the Swaythling Remount Depot was constructed at North Stoneham Park to collect, sort, and supply horses for military use overseas. My great-grandfather John Willis Fleming helped set up the Remount Depot (it was on his land), and my grandparents first met there: my grandmother was the daughter of a commander of one of the Remount Depot's squadrons, Captain E S Charrington.

We are making a website about the Swaythling Remount Depot, which will include stories and photographs, and which will go live in January 2009.

I would particularly like to hear from anyone researching men and women (and animals!) who worked at, or passed through, the RD.

With thanks,

Harry

The Willis Fleming Historical Trust

[Steven Broomfield]

Harry, sorry I can never make it to any of the events you hold in eastleigh: you seem always to manage to pick a day when I'm unavailable. One day we'll meet up.

regarding the Stoneham Remount Depot, the vet I use (and I mean veterinary surgeon, rather than the ghastly American abbrevation of veteran ) has a collection of old glass medicine bottles, some of which were dug up in gardens on the site of the depot. f they'd be of interest, I could ask him if I could photograph them for you.

[harryfleming]

[steve, we will meet one day... Re your vet and the bottles, yes please! - that would be brilliant to have a photo. I have been told that a very great number of horses were also buried there. I believe the M27 now crosses part of the site, and it would be interesting to know what was found during the road's construction.

[sotonmate]

Harry

There are two items I can bring to your attention,that is if you haven't attended to them already ! They are both to do with the Romsey Remount Depot but the two seem, on the surface, to be intertwined:

i) War Diary WO95/5466 at Kew,runs from Nov 1914 to Apr 1918,and a book,

ii) The Story of Romsey Remount Depot by Colonel Sir H M Jessel (Abbey Press London1920).

You might get something new out of these.

Sotonmate (wife from Swaythling !)

[harryfleming]

I've put up a simple page about the SRD at

http://www.northstoneham.org.uk/remount/

Sotonmate, thank you for those two items ...

[domsim]

Hi harry

i did a quick search of the catalogue at Kew and came up with following:

WO 161/117 Drawings, photographs and plans of Winchester East and West Camps, Romsey and Swaythling Remount Depots and Southampton Rest Camp (Hampshire) 1914 Jan 01 - 1915 Dec 31

i may be going up there tomorrow and if i get time will have a look for you.

I work at the University in Southampton and as a student was in Connaught Hall so know the Stoneham area well-fascinated to hear about the remount depot and other sites

Cheers

Dominic

[MaureenE]

I saw a reference to the website when looking for something else

http://www.swaythling.org.uk

Identification of this photo is required:

http://www.swaythling.org.uk/articles/a-framed-photograph.html

Cheers

Maureen