A HISTORY project has been launched to create a lasting reminder of the part Southampton played in the First World War.

Housing association Radian is calling on people living in Swaythling to come forward with ideas for a permanent memorial to the Remount Depot.

Between 1914 and 1920 400,000 war horses and 25,000 men were sent to the depot before heading to the frontline of the First World War.

The project was launched at the Round About Café in Mansbridge with a rendition of the Last Post by 17-year-old bugler James Creed.

Barbara Cooke, Radian’s community development officer, said: “It’s also the perfect moment to launch our heritage project to find out more about the Swaythling Remount Depot.

“It’s relatively unknown in the city but it played a hugely important role in the war effort. We can’t wait to discover even more details with residents’ help.”

One of those supporting the project will be Southampton historian Harry Willis Fleming, the great-nephew of Lieutenant Richard Willis Fleming who died fighting in Egypt in 1916, the day after his 20th birthday.

Swaythling was one of two local remount centres, the other being at Romsey.

Romsey’s primary function was to train horses and mules for war, while Swaythling was responsible for collecting and shipping them to France.

Some horses came from other camps in England, but more than half came from North America and were usually unloaded at Devonport and then came to Hampshire by train.

Although the Army of 1914 to 1918 was equipped with motorised transport, horses were still the most effective way to move artillery and equipment through the cloying mud of Flanders and northern France.

The Army Remount Service was established in 1887 to provide animals for military service.

During the First World War, the Remount Service bought 468,000 horses in the UK, 17 per cent of the country’s equine working population.

In addition to this, 688,619 animals were acquired from North America, more than 13,000 of which were lost at sea before they reached these shores.