The Fife and Forfar Yeomanry | Page 3

of work must have been
that of D Squadron, whose men were distributed amongst the other
squadrons, fully equipped, in about three days. This squadron was also
called upon to provide the various details, such as mounted police, who
were required on mobilization to report to the Highland Territorial
Infantry Division, the famous 51st.
[Illustration: N.C.O.'s AT FAKENHAM, 1915. Back Row (left to
right).--Sgts. Edmond, Petrie, Annand, M'Niven. Second
Row.--Farr.-Sgt. Lindsay, Sgts. Inglis, Gourlay, Farr.-Sgt. Renton, Sgt.
Abbie, Saddler-Sgt. Smith, Sergt. Kirk, F.Q.M.S. Allan, Sgts. Hood,
Walker, Colthart, Haig, Lumsden, Thorp, Dougall, Couper, Bradfield,
Craig. Third Row.--Sgts. Thornton, Aitken, S.Q.M.S. Craig, S.S.M.
Edie, S.S.M. Ogilvie, Capt. and Adjt. M.E. Lindsay, R.S.M. R.G.
Rapkin, Capt. Jackson, S.S.M. M'Laren, S.S.M. Adams, S.Q.M.S. W.
Birrell, Farr.-Sgt. W. Guthrie, Sgt. J. Wilson. Front Row.--Sgts. Scott,
Stewart, Gair, Duff, Hair, Adams, Kidd, and Henderson. To face page
2]
During this first week squadrons had to arrange for their own billeting,
forage, and rations; take over, shoe, brand, and number the horses as

they were sent up in twos and threes by the buyers; mark all articles of
equipment with the man's regimental number; fit saddlery; see that all
ranks had brought with them and were in possession of the prescribed
underclothing, boots, and necessaries; take on charge all articles on the
Mobilization Store Table as they arrived in odd lots from Stirling; and,
beyond the above duties, which were all according to regulation, to
make unofficial arrangements to beg, borrow, or steal clothing of sorts
to cover those who had enlisted, or re-enlisted, to complete to War
Establishment, and to provide for deficiencies in the saddlery and
clothing already on charge.
The result of all the hard work was that it was practically a complete
unit which came together at Blairgowrie about the 12th of August. Our
Mobilization Orders had been thoroughly thought out and the general
outline made known to all ranks, so that no time was lost in getting a
move on. At Blairgowrie we were billeted in a school, and would have
been very comfortable if we had been older campaigners, in spite of the
fact that our horses were about half a mile away, up a steep hill, in a
field which looked as if it had been especially selected so that we might
trample to pieces a heavy clover crop, and at the same time be as far as
possible from any possible watering place for the horses. It meant also
about as stiff a hill as possible up which to cart all our forage from the
station below. Here our adjutant, Captain M.E. Lindsay, who knew the
whole business of regimental interior economy from A to Z, started to
get things into proper form and to see that orderly officers, orderly
sergeants, and orderly corporals performed as many of their proper
duties as, with their inexperience, could be fitted into the twenty-four
hours. By the end of three days order was beginning to spring out of
chaos, and the adjutant never did a better bit of work--and that is saying
a great deal--than he did in hunting all and sundry during those first
few days.
A depot for recruiting was formed at Kirkcaldy and men quickly
swelled our reinforcements there. After a few days at Blairgowrie, the
Regiment entrained for the Brigade Concentration at Huntingdon; but
as it was found there was insufficient space for a whole brigade, we
were moved to St Ives, about six miles off, where there was a splendid

common for drilling and good billets for the men. Very strenuous
training occupied our two months there, and the expectation of going
abroad at a moment's notice kept us up to concert pitch. An inspection
by H.M. the King of the whole Brigade on the common at Huntingdon,
and another by Sir Ian Hamilton, helped to confirm our expectations,
and when we suddenly got orders one Sunday at midnight that we were
to move to an unknown destination few doubted that we were bound
for Boulogne.
[Illustration: H.M. THE KING, WITH BRIGADIER-GENERAL
LORD LOVAT AND MAJOR-GENERAL BRUCE HAMILTON. To
face page 4]
[Illustration: THE REGIMENT IN COLUMN OF TROOPS AT ST.
IVES. To face page 4]
What a bustle we had that Monday. We had built a fine range of stables
on the Market Square, which were completed all except the harness
rooms on the Friday, and on the Saturday all the horses were moved in
except those in the sick lines. We had just received a consignment of
about 100 grass-fed remounts which had been handed over to
squadrons to look after, but not definitely allotted. Consequently when
we received orders to move we had horses in the Market Square,
saddlery about a mile away up the Ramsey Road, and horses in the sick
lines which belonged