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Remembered Today:

The Wagoners' Special Reserve


Beau Geste

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I have done what I can to try to ascertain whether or not items referring to the Wold's Wagoners' Special Reserve has featured before on the Forum but came up blank ! Apparently it was the brainchild of Sir Mark Sykes of Sledmere House, Sledmere, Driffield and caused such local interest that elements of the reserve were deployed in France at the very outset of the war and took an important part in the retreat from Mons.

The museum at Sledmere House recalls many of those who answered the call in those very early days, none more so than one man whose words , I think, reflected the enthusiasm and excitement generated during the opening days and weeks of the war: "It was the middle of the corn harvest when the postman turned up with the letter.....I went home, got something to eat and got changed, and rode straight over to Sledmere".

The last surviving member of the Wagoners', Billy Thompson MM died in 1993 a few months short of his 100th birthday.

The museum at Sledmere has been recently opened and is well worth a visit.

Harry

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I've never head of then before on here.

You probably know this but the Waggoners' Reserve, was a volunteer corps of 1,000 local farmworkers who used horse drawn wagons taking supplies to the trenches in WW1. They were among the first volunteers to serve in 1914 having been formed by Sir Mark Sykes in 1913. Annual driving competitions were began in 1913 in Fimber to get men to join, postcards of some of the pictures from that time are for sale in Sledmere house, I have 3. Sir Mark designed the piece and Carlo Magnoni sculpted it, A Barr the stone mason for Sledmere estate worked on it too.

http://www.driffield.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=386

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Without wishing to intrude, may I make a plea for a second 'g' in Waggoners? This is the traditional British spelling.

D

"Wagoners" is the spelling preferred by those in the museum at Sledmere. I simply followed their lead. Mind you, I didn't realise that "waggoners" is the traditional British spelling. Thank you Daggers.

Harry

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The Waggoners Memorial website.

A remarkable Memorial !

Yes indeed. I read something, a tourist pamphlet I think, that described it as " amusing," not the sort of adjective that one would nomally use to describe a war memorial but having seen it I have to admit that it did make me smile.

However, not everyone has reacted in this way. An official German delegation who visited the site in the twenties apparently felt that Magnoni had depicted their soldiers in too aggressive a manner !

Harry

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  • 4 years later...

Visited the museum at Sledmere today, small but very thoughtful. In the heart of my maternal ancestors territory 120+ years ago. No direct relative in waggoners although possibly some distant one. 

IMG_20170730_110745052.jpg.dda100f051d0e445658a86fedfc6340e.jpg

 

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I have always wanted to visit there! Perhaps soneday. 

 

All the best,

 

Gary

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Gary

I note your location. Relatives on dads side emigrated there in 1929, to Fredericton I think.

regards

Jon

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Jon,

 

Fredericton is just down the road. A very picturesque little city. Back on theme, the RSAC/RCT Association (I think) published a nice pamphlet on the Wolds Wagoners some years ago. It may still be available from the RCT Museum.

 

All the best,

 

Gary 

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  • 1 year later...

For those interested in the Waggoners I have noted an anomaly in the "Green Book" The Wolds Waggoners by Ian Sumner.

In the list/Nominal Roll taken from Army Book 303

#695 is noted as Arthur SEDMAN

However, whilst doing the family tree I note this should be Arthur SEAMAN

I have sent details to the Waggoners museum and await a reply.

 

 

A Seaman MIC.jpg

A seaman service 1.jpg

a seaman star roll.jpg

census 1901.jpg

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Not surprisingly, many of the Wagoners Special Reserve ended up serving in the ASC (they were not intended to be deployed as a unit), but others served in a wide variety of regiments. The museum is working on a new improved history / guidebook with many illustrations. Should be available before the end of the year.

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I am interested in knowing the details of the book and when it will be available.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

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 The "Green Book" The Wolds Waggoners by Ian Sumner, as afar as I know, is only available from the Waggoners Museum at Sledmere (about £10)

PM me details and may possibly be able to get one as i will be passing in the near future.
 

regards

Jon

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Jon,

 

Is this the “new” book?

 

All the best,

 

Gary

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I'll check when i get home but i think was first published about year 2000

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early editions may have had a pictorial cover but mine (and possibly reprints) is solid green with white titles

922f4ef45e93dc4593678685767444341587343.jpg

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On ‎26‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 07:56, Doctord84 said:

Not surprisingly, many of the Wagoners Special Reserve ended up serving in the ASC (they were not intended to be deployed as a unit), but others served in a wide variety of regiments. The museum is working on a new improved history / guidebook with many illustrations. Should be available before the end of the year.

Hi David,

 

I wonder whether you've included Frank (Francis) Keogh an IFTC project case that was accepted by the CWGC in 2016, buried in Beverley St Johns cemetery. East Riding Archives helped me with the details to pass on to Terry Denham. Frank died of pneumonia (Spanish Flu) just after the armistice.

 

KEOGH_FRANK 2017.pdf

 

Regards,

 

Steve M

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Sorry, been rather busy getting organised for a forthcoming appearance at the Beverley Food festival and haven't had much time for online stuff.

 

The new Wagoners guide book / history really is new, not just a reprint of the previous work mentioned above. It looks at Sir Mark Sykes himself, the Sykes monument and the Wagoners memorial as well as the regiment, has a lot more illustrations and incorporates much new research on the men themselves, based on years of detailed research. My involvement was merely to pass on the experience I've had with producing various publications and to do a bit of proof reading / fact checking. As the museum's mentor, i'll declare an interest here, but it does look good in the draft stage.

 

I don't have a release date / price yet, but there's another Trustees meeting coming up shortly, so may be able to get more information then. 

 

Steve - I'll have to ask Keith Ireland (who has produced the detailed research on the men of the regiment) if he's aware of Frank Keogh

 

thanks

 

David

 

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  • 1 month later...
On 20/09/2018 at 12:38, jonbem said:

For those interested in the Waggoners I have noted an anomaly in the "Green Book" The Wolds Waggoners by Ian Sumner.

In the list/Nominal Roll taken from Army Book 303

#695 is noted as Arthur SEDMAN

However, whilst doing the family tree I note this should be Arthur SEAMAN

I have sent details to the Waggoners museum and await a reply.

I've just heard back and the details checked out. They have updated their records and it will be correct in the new book, 

quote "I will let you know when the book comes out any day now"

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  • 1 month later...

The new Wagoners book has now been printed, so once the Museum has received the copies and sorted out the sale price etc., I'll post some information.

 

David

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  • 1 month later...
On ‎26‎/‎09‎/‎2018 at 13:34, Waggoner said:

I am interested in knowing the details of the book and when it will be available.

 

All the best,

 

Gary

Hi

The new book is launched on 17th March 2019. They have sent me an order form - attached pdf

 

regards

Jon

The Wolds Wagoners Guide Order Form...pdf

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Jon,

 

Thank you for this. I have been in touch with Martin and will be purchasing a copy of the book once it is released. 

 

All the best,

 

Gary

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I'll be going for the launch at Sledmere on the 17th March, and have a table booked for an excellent Sunday Lunch at the Triton Inn. :D

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Yes, I'm also going t the book launch; looking forward to seeing the final product after much preparation.

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