The Antrim Reserve Depot
The North Irish Horse Reserve Camp 1914-1918
The camp was established in September 1914 on the site of the Antrim showgrounds, when the regimental headquarters moved there from Belfast. By 1918 it included accommodation for 440 men and 461 horses. The officers were accommodated in the town.
North Irish Horse Camp – Antrim. 1918: IE/MA/MPD/AD119287-006. Maps, Plans and Drawings Collection, courtesy of Military Archives, Ireland.
Close-up of the main camp.
Image provided by David Hawthorne from Lisburn, Northern Ireland.
Image provided by James M. Rankin of Randalstown.
2nd Lieutenant Leslie Ion Stuart in 1915 or 1916 - image sourced from Ancestry.com Public Member Trees (contributor Rachel Magowan)
Image provided by Frank McLernon
No.10 Hut, a troop of H Squadron. Image provided by Robin and Thelma Cowan
Image provided by Bracken Anderson
Image provided by the Public Records Office of Northern Ireland
Image from the collection of Horseman Bryant Charles Hamilton courtesy of his daughter Anne Magarey, probably taken at the Antrim Camp
Three photo images of the camp (above), sourced from the Frontline Ulster site. The arrows and numbers on the plan indicate the approximated direction and location of each photo.
A number of accounts of life at the camp survive. This from new recruit Frank McMahon about camp life in 1914:
The next day we were issued with a rifle, sword, saddle, blankets and other equipment and were each given a horse, our day was occupied with drawing equipment and all other gear. The next morning Reveille at 5.30am, beds made up, floors swept and then fall in at 6am for physical jerks, dismissed at 6.15am to stables, where one man was detailed to ride one horse and lead 3 for exercise and watering, the remainder of the troop cleaned out the stables, then the exercise party returned at 6.30am and each man started grooming his horse.
We were issued with a curry comb, tail comb, dandy brush, body brush, a sponge (to sponge the horse's nostrils) a cloth and a plaited straw contraption with which you massaged the horse's body after he had been passed as properly groomed by the Troop Sergeant. ... The Sergeant kept warning you to be "careful of that horse, he cost £40, you can get a soldier for 1/-".
After breakfast the recruits were fallen in for riding school. The recruits with their horses formed a large ring in the centre of which stood the riding master, he was a Sergeant with a ram-rod back, a Kaiser William moustache and a fog-horn voice. He taught you the proper way to mount your horse, when you got mounted he gave the order "walk march", after a short time he yelled "trot", the horses were all cavalry trained and on the command "HALT" from the Sergeant, the horses all stopped dead with the result most of the recruits fell over the horses heads. The Sergeant would then threaten those men who had fallen off with disciplinary action, viz "Dismounting without an order".
We continued attending the riding school until the final passing-out test, you got the order "Cross your stirrups over your saddle, fold your arms" and ride your horse over a 4' jump. If you passed the test you were then posted to a troop as a trooper. You were also trained in sword and rifle drill. If you passed your firing test with the rifle you got an extra 6d per day as a marksman.
... after a few weeks I settled down and began to enjoy the soldiering, the life wasn't bad, you could get a pint of Guinness was 1½d and cigarettes 5 for 1d at the Canteen and you had quite a few good friends and there was always a sing-song in the Canteen from 5.30pm to 10pm.
Up for sale
After the war all the buildings and equipment items that had made up the North Irish Horse reserve camp were sold by auction.
(Belfast News-Letter 8 October 1919)
G.R.
MINISTRY OF MUNITIONS.
BY DIRECTION OF THE DISPOSAL BOARD
(HUTS AND BUILDING MATERIALS SECTION).
SALE BY AUCTION
OF
16 WOODEN HUTS
OFFICES, MESS HUTS, AND KITCHENS, DINING ROOMS, STORES, BATH HOUSES, STABLES, FORAGE SHEDS, PUMP, WATER TROUGHS, HORSEFALL, DESTRUCTOR, LATRINES, ABLUTIONS, &C.,
AT ANTRIM CAMP, CO. ANTRIM,
On THURSDAY, 9th October, 1919, AT 11.30 o'clock.
The Sale will comprise:–
16 WOODEN LIVING HUTS.
OFFICE AND VERANDAH.
SERGEANTS' MESS AND KITCHEN.
MESS ROOMS.
COOK HOUSE.
WASH UPS.
BATH HOUSES.
DRYING ROOM.
ABLUTIONS.
LATRINES AND ENCLOSURES.
STABLES.
FORAGE SHEDS.
PUMP.
840 FEET PIPING.
WATER TROUGHS.Catalogues can be obtained from the Auctioneer, JAMES KING, 25, Chichester Street, Belfast.
NOTE. –"SURPLUS," price 3d, the Official List of Government Property for Sale; published twice monthly. On sale everywhere.
NOTE.
A MOTOR CHAR-A-BANC will LEAVE the CITY HALL at 9-30 for ANTRIM, and will RETURN to BELFAST immediately after the Sale is Concluded. Bookings per (..?..), at THOMPSON'S GARAGE, Victoria Square. RETURN FARE, 10s.
The site as a showground
Ordnance Survey map 1905–1957 from PRONI Historic Maps, sourced from Frontline Ulster site.
Today
Today the site, its boundaries little changed from 1914-18, is used as a Police Service of Northern Ireland training centre.
