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not have enough time to practise.  War was declared on August 4 th 1914 and two days later we sailed for France.  Our own war had begun. Many of the lads who boarded the boat would never see Blighty again.  Even worse, many of the fine animals which we led across the sea to France would fall in a foreign field.  To horseman like us that was even worse; at least, as soldiers, we had had a choice.  The horses just followed us and obeyed us. It was sad really.

Chapter 4
    I think that the generals thought that we were ready for war.  They were wrong.  We were as unprepared for a war as it was possible to be.  We had fired our guns at targets and used live ammunition on a handful of occasions. We had played at war games once or twice but as we had all been wearing either bright red or blue arm bands it hardly replicated war. This was not my view but the sergeants and officers like Major Harrison who had been to war themselves. I was lucky with my section; they were sensibly minded and down to earth.  They were not expecting a glorious ride to victory over the fleeing Germans but some of those who came from places like Liverpool and Preston were confident that this would be a war won in a few weeks and the Lancashire Yeomanry were just the boys to do it.
    We landed at Dunkirk.  It was a cold windswept sandy beach.  It reminded me of Southport. We unloaded the horses; they were becoming used to being transported.  Colonel Mackenzie had gone ahead with the headquarters staff and that left Major Harrison to organise us. We rode east.  This time we would have to erect our own tents.  The major had the map coordinates but we had no idea what the terrain would be like.  As it turned out it was a large farmer’s field.  I would have expected the farmer to be upset about a regiment of cavalry camping on his land but they were all worried about an army invading them who would not pay for the privilege: the Germans.
    This time we had to lay out horse lines, dig latrines as well as erecting our tents too. By the time we had finished the field was a muddy morass which promised to become worse should we get any rain.
    Our new officer, replacing Lord Burscough, was Lieutenant Ramsden.  He was an affable young chap but terribly keen.  He loved to volunteer for anything. We learned that he had been an officer at University and his uncle was Colonel Mackenzie. This was his chance to show what he had learned and we were his guinea pigs.
    When the colonel returned from the briefing at the headquarters he held an officers’ briefing.  The keen lieutenant then called a meeting of his non commissioned officers. We were short of one sergeant and one corporal but as we only had twenty five troopers in the troop that was not a problem.
    The fresh faced schoolboy rubbed his hands in anticipation.  “Well chaps , Major Harrison must like us for he has given us the job of scouting the area to the east.  What fun eh?”
    Sergeant Armstrong looked at me and gave a slight shake of the head. “Sir, when you say east, can you be more specific?”
    The question did not seem to bother the lieutenant. “Just find out what’s up the road I expect.”
    I shifted in my seat, “Sir, do we have any maps?”
    If I had spoken in Urdu I might have had the same response.  He adopted a puzzled look and then said, “Maps?” His expression seemed to suggest he had never thought of them.
    “Yes sir, maps of the area.  It might help.  You know to find the roads.”
    It was as though a penny had actually dropped, “I say, what a capital idea.”
    Before he could embarrass himself any more Sergeant Armstrong said, “I’ll get some from the adjutant sir.  There are bound to be some.”
    “Jolly good.  Well, see you tomorrow eh chaps? Reveille, breakfast and then tally ho!”
    After he had gone we both burst out laughing. “He means well , William, but you and I will have to steer him in the right direction.” I think he meant he would do the