11th (Pioneers) Battalion, Hampshire Regiment, at Mullingar Training Camp in  Ireland. 1914.

 2nd row, 4th from rt Harold Joyner+ 5th Harry Bailey+.  3rd row 2nd from rt Jack Thornett +

4th row 6 from rt George Bailey, cousin of Harry.

Back row, 4th from rt Fred Bailey, brother of Harry. 3rd from right Riley Brewer, 2nd Arthur Ivens+.

 Men whose names are marked + were killed in action. Army Photographer, Philip Shaw.

The horseman in the centre, not in uniform, is possibly Fred Simkins, whose blacksmith’s forge was the small building on the left, which is still there today (click on the first thumbnail in Houses and Views). He later served as a Farrier Sergeant, whose unpleasant work included veterinary duties, treating sick and wounded horses and mules and despatching the untreatable.

Fred himself survived the war but it may well have been as a result of his experiences that afterwards, he gave up working with horses and took over the running of the village Post Office.