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Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire: A Special War Horse

At the outbreak of war, the British Army only had 25,000 horses at its disposal – Songster was one of them.

Yet within weeks, another 140,000 had been mobilised to go to the Western Front; where horses were needed to transport food, supplies and weapons to the troops.

Thousands of horses died or were sold at the end of the war. Songster though, was a cavalry horse with an exemplary war record, and returned home.

And there he remained an important and much loved member of the Leicestershire Yeomanry until 1940.

Location: Charnwood Forest, Leicestershire LE12
Image: Songster with Harry Poole to his left (with the moustache), courtesy of John Poole

Release date:

Duration:

11 minutes

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