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Arthur Hercules Slade in Palestine

The Great War begins, August 8th, 1914
When war broke out between England, France and Germany, Arthur Hercules Slade decided he had to join up and defend his country. He was a British citizen, but at the time he was living in Ontario, Canada, so he chose to pay his own way back to England to sign up. He could have joined a Canadian regiment, but felt he would be in the war faster if he became part of a British regiment.
Their father, Edmund Hercules Slade had already been in the Wilts Yeomanry and joined the Mounted Military Police during the war. On GrandfatherÕs return home he and his brother Herbert signed up with the Lincolnshire Yeomanry, based in Lincoln. I am not certain of the reason why he wouldnÕt sign up with the Wiltshire Yeomanry, since that was closer to home. He was given a regimental number: 2265. He wrote down his sister, Constance Louise Rumming, as his next of kin. Herbert was given #2695 and mistakenly written up as Slade, A.H.

The main barracks of the Yeomanry was in Lincoln and they trained throughout Lincolnshire. Yeomanry were different than cavalry--they were trained to be foot soldiers and mounted soldiers. The idea was that they could ride quickly to their destination and dismount and fight. Or they could charge. They were even taught to get their horses to lay down, so they could use them as cover. The regiment was also trained to use the sword or lance in a charge.