03. 2018 - Daniel Petho's Mounted WWI Battlefield Tour

Trooper Daniel Petho

The Last 100 Days The Cavalry’s Last Hurrah

Over the week of 10th – 18th August, 48 riders, cyclists and support crew from across the world gathered together to take part in a commemorative ride marking the last 100 days of the First World War 100 years on. The ride, known as The Last 100 Days The Cavalry’s Last Hurrah, had seen riders travelling across the battlefields of France such as Amiens, Albert, Thiepval, Passendale, The Somme and Ypres in Belgium. Marking the last 100 days, the ride sought to remember not only the men and women that gave their lives in the Great War but also their equine companions who fought alongside them too. The 100 days offensive, was the last big allied push to break the German lines which ultimately lead to the ending of 4 long years of severe bloodshed on Armistice Day in November.

Consisting of 22 horses and riders, 10 cyclists and 11 vehicles, the ride produced a living history of how soldiers would have lived, felt and fought like as a cavalry unit on the western front. Tpr Daniel Petho of the Queens Own Yeomanry was one of the riders taking part in the ride. He said, “the immersion and reality of how life was back then for cavalry troops is something you can only experience by recreating it, you just don’t get that immersive feel watching it on television, it was surreal”. Riders from U.K., The Isle of Man, The Channel Islands, Australia, New Zealand and Canada all came to commemorate the sacrifices their country had given.

Every rider present represented their own regiments or regiments of personal links. Tpr Petho said “we had representations of The Royal Flying Corps, The Household Cavalry, The Royal Engineers, The 16th Lancers, The Essex Yeomanry, The Duke of Lancasters Own Yeomanry, Northumberland Hussars and The Queens Royal Hussars, The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, The Royal Artillery, The Canadian Cavalry Divisions and Royal Service Corps”.

The ride, which travelled over 100km throughout the week, was able to recreate the infamous Canadian Cavalry charge at Moreuil Wood with swords drawn in full 1918 period kit. “With the heavy kit required to be carried for long periods and then taken into battle is a testament to how fit and robust the horses were back in the early 1900s” Tpr Petho added. Traveling from the Amiens area where the first Tank on Tank battle was fought to the Menin Gate in Ypres, the ride stopped off at locations such as the epic Somme memorial at Thiepval (where 72,000 names of the missing soldiers are located), Pozéres, Tyne Cot War Cemetery, Polygon Wood and the finale at the Menin Gate, Belgium.

The ride itself was given the privilege to be the first and only cavalry unit to parade on horses through the Menin Gate since the wars end 100 years ago. The Gate itself bears the names of 55,000 of the missing soldiers inscribed on the walls, unfortunately, as there was little room, the names only went to 1916, whereby the rest were placed in Tyne Cot. Dan noted, “the very notion that we have been given this special privilege to be the first and only to parade was very emotional to me as we marched through, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I’ll never forget”.

Throughout the planning and journey of this commemorative ride, the Cavalry’s Last Hurrah has been collecting to raise money for the Royal British Legion. The Legion is the main services charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants.

The Cavalry's Last Hurrah:

Day one (of sorts)

So commemorative begins (or began). I Had the privilege to begin the ride in a corporals uniform from 1918. As he was tragically killed in action, I couldn't bear to deface this uniform! What a privilege too!

We arrived in Demuin, near the area of Amiens for a commemorative ceremony and wholly welcomed by the French villagers, who were out in full. We later headed into the exact location to which I was lucky to be part of the recreation charge of the original great Canadian cavalry charge of Moreuil Wood in 1918.

Rodney (my mount for the week) is an awesome beast.

Yesterday we rode through the areas of the first Tank on Tank battles, the Australian, the U.S. and New Zealand war memorials and past into the area of the Somme.

On average, we're covering over 28k in full kit per day!

What an experience!

Continue to Day 3