Can you help with history on Gamekeepers and The Great War?

[mattlimb 27]

Can you help with history on Gamekeepers and The Great War?

 

Hello, I am doing some work at the moment on gamekeepers, stalkers, gillies, hill shepherds and similar estate workers who answered the call and 'joined up' during the great war. In the first instance it was for my own personal interest but it is fast growing and more plans are afoot. So if you know of anyone who fits the bill above, a relative or great uncle please let me know.

 

Take a look at this link for more details: http://www.mlbft.co....s/storyone.html

 

If you can help either message me direct here or via the web site in the link above.

[tegater 789]

Can you help with history on Gamekeepers and The Great War?

 

Hello, I am doing some work at the moment on gamekeepers, stalkers, gillies, hill shepherds and similar estate workers who answered the call and 'joined up' during the great war. In the first instance it was for my own personal interest but it is fast growing and more plans are afoot. So if you know of anyone who fits the bill above, a relative or great uncle please let me know.

 

Take a look at this link for more details: http://www.mlbft.co....s/storyone.html

 

If you can help either message me direct here or via the web site in the link above.

Good luck in your quest for info, as I am sure that many are aware generally of the good work carried out by the lovat scouts and some of the reputed stalking skills, that the scottish stalkers gave to the war effort.

[mattlimb 27]

tegater

 

Yes Lovat Scouts on the list; in fact spending most of next week in The Highlands and on Isle of Skye following up leads and interviews, thanks for the reply

Edited September 14, 2012 by mattlimb

[Bosun11 537]

Read anything about Johnny Richardson, huntsman with the Blencathra, though that was the last war.

 

Norman Mursall's book 'come dawn come dusk' has some info in it from the great war if I remember rightly, as its a long time since I read it.

[Bobba_fett 117]

highland gamekeeper by dugald macintyre is an auto bio of a gamekeeper on the mull of kintyer, in which he go's to fight in the first world war. really good read.

[mattlimb 27]

Bosun11 and Bobba_fett Many thnaks for the leads, both new and will be followed up

[PlasticJock 539]

I believe a good many stalkers, keepers etc were recruited into the home guards 'special' units in order to teach the blokes proper field craft and stalking. One of the units was formed just before when the German invasion was supposed to happen, they were trained as a guerilla 'stay behind' force to wreak havoc on the nazis. I forget their name but there was a documentary a couple years ago on yesterday and it was very interesting.

[mattlimb 27]

PlasticJock - I have picked that one up, not only in Scotland with the stalkers and keepers but even young fit farm lads that knew the ground; hidden underground bunkers were built for them from where they were to come out, and as you say, wreak havoc - life expectance measured in days rather than weeks or years!

 

There is a website dedicated to them and the surviving bunkers, but cannot find it at the moment

[mudman 14]

really appreciate the link if you can find it, as I think we have a bunker on our shoot. Its just like a buried Nissen hut with a square brick manhole for an entrance.

[mattlimb 27]

really appreciate the link if you can find it, as I think we have a bunker on our shoot. Its just like a buried Nissen hut with a square brick manhole for an entrance.

 

Mudman - Just back from the Highlands, give me a day or so to ferret through my notes and I will see if I can find the web site; but sounds just the type of bunker they used

 

Where in Yorkshire are you?

Edited September 21, 2012 by mattlimb

[poacher3161 1,766]

Try looking up about the well known gamekeeping family called Grass i think a few of them served in the great war.

[mattlimb 27]

Try looking up about the well known gamekeeping family called Grass i think a few of them served in the great war.

 

Poacher3161 - There is a Grass family who lived in Derbyshire & Yorkshire who were gamekeepers, are they the ones? Any help with them would be most welcome; they are a distant relative and the place this quest startred - Regards

[poacher3161 1,766]

Try looking up about the well known gamekeeping family called Grass i think a few of them served in the great war.

 

Poacher3161 - There is a Grass family who lived in Derbyshire & Yorkshire who were gamekeepers, are they the ones? Any help with them would be most welcome; they are a distant relative and the place this quest startred - Regards

The only knowledge i have of them is wat i have read in the past in the countrymans weekly in wich a regular scribe to that magazine wrote weekly about large sporting estates and their employees from a bygone erea.

[mattlimb 27]

Many thnaks for that

 

Anyone else any suggestions?

 

Take a look at this link for more details: http://www.mlbft.co....s/storyone.html

[Dave C 63]

Tales of the old Gamekeepers by Brian P Martin, covers keepers as far back as the 1880's to modern day, following there lives from start to finish and keepering methods.

Good read.