Percheron Horses for the Light Artillery in WW1

Military

During the First World War my grandfather, Harry Finch Reynolds, of St Albans was a vet who went to Canada to purchase remounts to replace the horses that were needed to provide transport at the front. I posted details last year (Buying First World War Remounts - Pictures from Hammond, Indiana, USA) and have had several inquiries about the pictures. 

At Calumet Depot, 1916

William has just written to say, about this picture: The second horse probably is part Percheron, as is the dapple grey about to be loaded onto the train. It was this type of part bred Percheron that coped so well with the appalling conditions on the Western Front that led to the Government to  import purebred Percherons and establish a breeding base here, largely to breed part bred horses especially for the light artillery.

More Pictures

Buying First World War Remounts - Pictures from Hammond, Indiana, USA

At Calumet Depot, 1916

Military

When the First World War broke out my grandfather, Harry Finch Reynolds, of St Albans, joined the Royal Army Veterinary Corp. The only family record we have of his military activities are a series of 20 pictures of a very large number of horses purchased by the British Remount Commission (Canada) being loaded onto a train at the Calumet Park Depot, Hammond, Indiana, USA.

At Calumet Depot, 1916

Sale of a 1864 Horse picture, possibly by Downer of Watford.

A large photograph of a horse, recorded as taken in Watford in 1864, recently sold on ebay at quite a high price considering the very degraded condition of the image. While it appears that the photographer is not recorded it is very probably by Frederick Downer, who around 1862 made changes to the back yard of the family shop so it could be used for equestrian photographs. I have placed an enhanced thumbnail picture  on the Frederick Downer Biography page for record purposes only, until I can get a better example of his equestrian photographs.

Please note that I am still looking for more examples of this prolific and versatile photographer's work.