Riding Cavalry

["Ray & Barb Elliston" <raymondj@travel-net.com>]

Many thanks to all who responded to my post concerning World War II cavalry.  Since most were ladies, here is a snippet for you.

    "Horsewomen of the German Army.  Because the officers and NCOs of the armed services' riding schools were urgently needed on the front, women were used for the training of remounts.  Their task was to break in the remounts as saddle - and draught - horses for the infantry and horse drawn units (the cavalry relied on the remount squadrons of their own reserve units).  The women were also there to teach pupils from unmounted units to ride, and gave short courses for regimental, battalion and contingent commanders.  A horsewoman would often have to ride eight to ten remounts, and then one or two riding school horses in a day.  The women were mostly aged 18 to 40, and were not given ranks.  They wore the uniform jacket of a headquarters assistant, and riding breeches and boots."

 

    In Russia about one million women were also employed as combatants in regular army units and about 27,000 in partisan groups.  Another book I have is an autobiographic (from her diaries) account of a young woman, aged 18-20, who was employed as a mounted scout for a partisan group until she was killed in action in her second year of service, while covering the retreat of her male comrades.