Equine veterans of the First World War, 'The Old Blacks', were a team of black gun horses originally of F Battery, Royal Horse Artillery who were based at St John's Wood Barracks, London. In 1914 they were posted to J Battery, renamed accordingly - including Jubb, Jabber 1/

Ju-Jitsu and Job-master - and left for France as part of the original BEF. The naming tradition continued, when they were soon transferred to N battery (with names such as Not'alf and Naughty) with whom from Ypres to St.Quentin the Old Blacks frequently found themselves 2/

in the midst of battle. Their service records would come to read as a list of some of the First World War's most intense fighting; the team taking part in the retreat and advance of 1914, 1st & 2nd Battles of Ypres, Festubert, Aubers Ridge, Vimy, the Somme, Hill 70, Cambrai 3/

and the Hundred Days offensive of 1918. Throughout this time two drivers stayed with them - G. Tofts and H.R. Barnes - whose care and devotion to the team was no doubt central to their survival. Life for the Old Blacks on the front line was perilous, on one occasion the horses 4/

drew up to a pond (which appeared safe) for watering. As they were released to drink, one began to sink rapidly into the mud. The more he struggled, the more exhausted he became and the more he sank - a common fate for horses during the war. Volunteers went to get help, tying 5/

ropes around the horses girth and neck which they attached to the rest of the Old Blacks who hauled their injured comrade to safety. The team and the men who handled them distinguished themselves throughout the war, most notably on 8th August 1918 when two of the Old Blacks 6/

and their driver successfully retrieved a gun which had been left behind, receiving a commendation from Maj-Gen T. Pitman, commander of the 2nd Cavalry Division. 4 of the team were injured during the war, 1 of them on 3 separate occasions yet all survived and returned to 7/

England in 1919. By 1920 their story of survival had spread, and the Old Blacks became celebrities, making several public appearances. They won prizes at Olympia and the Aldershot Show and attended the funerals of many famous people. With their glistening service record it is 8/

no wonder that they were chosen to draw the gun carriage which bore the Unknown Warrior to Westminster Abbey on 11th November 1920. After their final posting in 1922 they were 9/

retired, and finally parted ways. 4 going to a farm in Rugby, 1 to Bexley in Kent and the others to carefully chosen homes throughout the country. The Old Blacks are symbolic of the loyal service and sacrifice of millions of horses during the FWW.