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estic gardener. It may have been the home circumstances
that caused him to apply to join the Regular Army at about
this time. He was refused on account of his poor eyesight and
continued with his gardening job.
However, everything changed on 4th August 1914 when Britain
declared war on Germany. Until then, Britain had a relatively
small professional, volunteer army of about 400,000 men. By
the end of the war this had swollen to over 4 ½ million. To have
any significant effect on the war, Britain needed a much bigger
army and Kitchener made his famous appeal “Your Country
Needs You”. This was still a volunteer army.
Horace was one of the first of the lads who answered the
call on 4th September 1914, his eyesight no longer being an
impediment! Two of his school pals, Albert Green and George
Stanger, had signed up the week before and Horace was keen
to join in the adventure before “it was all over by Christmas”.
Whether he walked, took the carrier cart or the railway into
Peterborough, we will never know, but he presented himself
at the recruiting office there and became 49245 Carrington H.,
Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) as part of the 5th (Service)
Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. The Battalion had
only been formed a month previously when Kitchener made his
call. Horace’s training in first aid had found some use.
When he joined the army he was a slight youth, 5ft 9in tall
(1.75m), 9 st 10oz (71kg), with hazel eyes and dark brown
hair. He had scars on his jaw and left breast and his teeth were
described as “defective”. Six months of army training did him a
lot of good as he gained 22lb (10kg) and added 1 ½ in (4cm) to
his chest measurement.
Any hopes he may have had of an immediate jaunt to France
were soon extinguished. With a million men being recruited, it
would take time to provide all of the uniforms, guns, ammunition,
transport etc. In any case some training was required.
His first move was to Folkestone to Shorncliffe Camp, probably
his first significant journey away from his home. The regiment
then moved just down the road to Hythe.
40
that caused him to apply to join the Regular Army at about
this time. He was refused on account of his poor eyesight and
continued with his gardening job.
However, everything changed on 4th August 1914 when Britain
declared war on Germany. Until then, Britain had a relatively
small professional, volunteer army of about 400,000 men. By
the end of the war this had swollen to over 4 ½ million. To have
any significant effect on the war, Britain needed a much bigger
army and Kitchener made his famous appeal “Your Country
Needs You”. This was still a volunteer army.
Horace was one of the first of the lads who answered the
call on 4th September 1914, his eyesight no longer being an
impediment! Two of his school pals, Albert Green and George
Stanger, had signed up the week before and Horace was keen
to join in the adventure before “it was all over by Christmas”.
Whether he walked, took the carrier cart or the railway into
Peterborough, we will never know, but he presented himself
at the recruiting office there and became 49245 Carrington H.,
Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) as part of the 5th (Service)
Battalion of the Northamptonshire Regiment. The Battalion had
only been formed a month previously when Kitchener made his
call. Horace’s training in first aid had found some use.
When he joined the army he was a slight youth, 5ft 9in tall
(1.75m), 9 st 10oz (71kg), with hazel eyes and dark brown
hair. He had scars on his jaw and left breast and his teeth were
described as “defective”. Six months of army training did him a
lot of good as he gained 22lb (10kg) and added 1 ½ in (4cm) to
his chest measurement.
Any hopes he may have had of an immediate jaunt to France
were soon extinguished. With a million men being recruited, it
would take time to provide all of the uniforms, guns, ammunition,
transport etc. In any case some training was required.
His first move was to Folkestone to Shorncliffe Camp, probably
his first significant journey away from his home. The regiment
then moved just down the road to Hythe.
40
