Today sees the launch of an exclusive partnership between the War Horse: Fact & Fiction exhibition and the family history website Ancestry.co.uk.
We want to hear about your ancestors’ experiences of working with horses during war time and whether they formed the kind of relationship that Albert and Joey share.
The War Horse team at the National Army Museum will then pick the most inspiring story and include it in the exhibition.
Get more details on our Family History page or visit the War Horse section on Ancestry.co.uk.
2 Comments
I came on a History trip to the National Army museum on Friday 2nd March with Nonsuch high school. When I saw that there was a War Horse section I was really excited but unfortunately it was not part of our tour. My great grandfather was Captain Budgett who was portrayed as the soldier who rode Joey in the war (Captain Nicholls). I understand that the story of war horse, written by Michael Morpurgo was inspired by stories told to him by Captain Arthur Budgett, Albert weeks and Wilfred Ellis of their experiences in WW1, especially how my great grandfather would speak to his horses. Also my cousin Vanessa Budgett (another of Captain Budgetts’ great-granddaughters) starred in the Stephen Spielberg film.
My Grandfather in the WW1 worked with Mules and Horses taking amunitions to the trenches. He joined the 298th Brigade RFA because of his life-long association with horses. My understanding is that at the end of the war his mules and horses were only used to starvation rations and when he was not on duty an extra large delivery of horse food arrived and it was given to them and my Grandfather had to shoot the lot, which resulted in Post Truamtic stress and he suffered a stroke very soon after being demobbed.
Other than this family story, I have little or no information about the 298th Brigade or who or how many were in each troop.
I would love to know more.