War Diaries Talk

Folly horses - anything known?

  • deehar by deehar

    Has anyone found anything about folly horses or folly men? I haven't found anything on this site or on the internet.

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I've never heard of them. If you found this in a diary, could you add the image so we can see the context?

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    See article re Folly men - off to War:

    WW1 THE FOLLY BOYS OF WHEATHAMPSTEAD. Link with photographs:

    http://www.hertsmemories.org.uk/content/herts-history/topics/wartime/ww1-the-folly-boys-of-wheathampstead

    Article and photographs of a Folly building. Link: https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folly

    If this is the diary page for the Folly men mentioned, it seems the Folly men were granted 1st GC (Good Conduct) badges.
    Link for page: https://talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0003y71

    Wheathampstead is a village and civil parish in Hertfordshire, England, north of St Albans.

    PS I just looked at the talk page and found comments for the diary that deehar had tagged, brought pages up with his comments and came across the page link mentioned above.

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  • deehar by deehar in response to marie.eklidvirginmedia.com's comment.

    That's the only page I could find now but I have seen at least five other mentions of folly men and their horses.

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    I'm honestly not sure what this is - it's nagging at me, though, because I feel like I've heard the term before in relation to horses or something. Ordinarily, a folly is a mock ruined building, the sort of thing you find in the grounds of country houses, but clearly that's not the case here.

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  • David_Underdown by David_Underdown moderator

    Seems to just be the name of a hamlet of Wheathampstead: http://www.mymethodisthistory.org.uk/page/folly_methodist_chapel_wheathampstead

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  • deehar by deehar

    I am wondering if it has anything to do with the groups who provided entertainment at the Divisional Concert Parties - sometimes known as the Follies.
    Each Division had a different name for their groups.

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Deehar, Not too sure if that would apply to the Follies Concert Party. The Folly men on your page mentioned they had received their 1st Good Conduct Medals. Someone else may know the answer to your question.

    Article re Concert parties and theatricals — sometimes sadly disorganised by the demobihzation at a critical stage of the leading lady — helped to pass away the long evenings. The 15th Battalion produced an admirable pantomime with the topical title, " Pack Up,"at Ferfay, and besides the Divisional Follies, who worked hard, as
    they had done throughout the war, for the amusement of the troops, there were a number of " touring companies " who exchanged visits.

    Here is a another link for the Follies Concert Parties: Article and Photos of the Follies Concert Parties in WW1
    Link: https://southwarkheritage.wordpress.com/category/first-world-war/

    PS From an article - Good conduct "badges", in the army, were inverted chevrons worn on the lower left sleeve. Only soldiers with the rank of corporal or below were entitled to wear the good conduct chevrons. One chevron represented 2 years "good" service, two stripes 5 years, three for 12, four for 16, and five stripes for 21 years. Obviously, many soldiers would qualify for the 2 years, but few in the CEF would qualify for more than that. Soldiers with militia or permanent force service would qualify, and may have had several years good service. Good conduct chevrons are not frequently seen in WWI photos.

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    It seems odd for a diary author to refer to a group of men according to where they came from - not something I've seen before in quite this way. Perhaps the author had some connection to the place too.

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  • deehar by deehar in response to deehar's comment.

    Here is a page mentioning leave for folly men - one day !!! - and folly remounts. AWD0003yjt

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator

    I think Folly, or possibly Foley, is an officer in charge of one of the sections of the train. So Folly men would be those who are in that section. I don't have time right now to check this idea out, as I need to leave for work, but it might be worth looking at that angle.

    That page says Folly (or Foley) granted leave; -- and then two men listed with leave of 10 days. The use of a semi-colon separates Folly from the other two men. To me it reads as if someone named Folly was granted leave, as were the other two men.

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  • ral104 by ral104 moderator, scientist

    I was wondering if it actually said 'Tally', but I don't think it does. Cynthia's suggestion makes sense - it certainly seems to refer to some grouping of men.

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  • marie.eklidvirginmedia.com by marie.eklidvirginmedia.com

    Wonder if Folly Men may belong to the ASC Horse Transport Companies

    i.e. Folly Transport returned from Bois Fleuris - entry 25th.

    Also mentions, same link: Folly remounts received from Abbeville. Entry 26th.
    Link: https:, //talk.operationwardiary.org/#/subjects/AWD0003ygx

    Most Horse Transport Companies were under orders of Divisions, with four normally being grouped into a Divisional Train.
    Link: https://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/regiments-and-corps/the-army-service-corps-in-the-first-world-war/

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  • deehar by deehar in response to deehar's comment.

    AHAAA! Just had a brainwave - is the strange word looking very like FOLLY really an abbreviation for FOLLOWING !!!!! It only appears in the diaries written by one officer and
    generally appears ahead of lists.

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  • cyngast by cyngast moderator in response to deehar's comment.

    It looks like that could very well be the answer to the mystery! It fits in the pages posted in this thread.

    Good work!

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