The Wolds Waggoners - page 11
Image details
| Corps | RPC |
|---|---|
| Material type | Books |
| Book page | |
| Chapter head | |
| Chapter key | |
| Chapter number | |
| Full title | The Wolds Waggoners |
| Page number | |
| Publication date | 1988 |
| Real page | |
| Colour | Yes |
| Grey | No |
| Early date | 1908 |
| Late date | 1983 |
| Transcription |
Service Corps, and was set to a time limit. It took the form of a figure of eight, including four gates and a number of posts, and had to be completed at the trot, with the wagoners riding the horses postilion-style, rather than seated on the wagon. Since the horses normally did not move at anything above a walk on the farms, the test required a considerable amount of skill on the part of the wagoner. Competition was close, wiih seventy-four wagons taking part in 1913. Perhaps the best driver on the day that year was Wagoner 184 Charles Bielby, driving a wagon belonging to Francis Cook . Bielby came first in the general competition, and second in the Wagoners' event (could he have had home field advantage?); but only a point separated first from second, and second from third in both events. The winning wagoner received a prize of £3 for the general competition and £2 for the Wagoner's event; the winning owner would receive a piece of silver. The Roadmaster's competition was more difficult Each man controlled a team of fifteen wagoners under a foreman, who had to take the pole and wheels off a wagon, then, at a given signal, replace them and yoke a pair of horses. One driver then took the team and wagon to a given spot, whilst the remaining men ran alongside, gathering up and loading a number of twelve stone sacks. The first team home, with their sacks properly loaded, was the winner. The winning roadmaster received a silver mounted hunting crop, the foreman £1, and the winning team five shillings [25p] each. Tbf. competition in 1913 was watched by Brigadier-General F.W.B. Landon C.B., the Director of Transport and Movements at the War Office, and therefore the man responsible for the whole of the Army Service Corps, who was there as the guest of Sir Mark. After distributing the prizes, Brigadier Landon made a speech in which he made many complimentary remarks, not only about the skill on show that day, but also concerning the dedication and skill of the wagoners as a whole. When the Brigadier first saw the wagoners in action, some two years previously, their expertise had come as a complete sarprise to him, as he explained to Sir Mark, "How interested I was in your drivers' performances yesterday. Everything was so practical and discloses a great reserve of drivers of which I had no knowledge before.... if we had many as keen as you there would be no doubts as to the success of the Territorials.' The prizes at the 1914 competition were presented by Lady Sykes. By this time, the strength of the Wagoners stood at over one thousand men, and Sir Mark congratulated Captain Sykes on the hard work he had put in to achieve such an impressive number of recruits. Little did anyone present on that summer's day realise that the hour when the Wagoners would be needed by their country was fast approaching. |
| Book number | R0398 |