by Eleanor Quince, University of Southampton
On Wednesday 20th December an Exhibition was held at the Round About Café in Mansbridge to showcase research undertaken as part of a community project with the University of Southampton. The project, ‘Swaythling in the Great War: Equine and Air Support for the Front’, focussed on three investigations into the vital role played by Swaythling during World War One. Local residents worked with students and staff from the University to uncover information about the Remount Depot, the US Naval Air Service base and the contributions made by people of Swaythling to the war effort.
Findings on display included a timeline of events in the local area, from the opening of the Remount Depot in 1914 to the delivery of planes to the US Naval Airbase in 1918. Images of the Remount Depot, used for the stabling and training of army horses and mules, showed how it was comprised of three large camps and explained how, between 1914 and 1919, it processed nearly 400,000 animals. A map of North Stoneham Farm showed where the US Naval Air Service base had been established and information on those who served there articulated its role as a launch site for the Northern Bombing Group, in readiness for bombing raids along the Belgian coast. Extracts from letters and diary entries illustrated personal involvement in the war.
A huge thank you to all who supported the event.