King's Own Royal Regiment Museum

First World War

1st/5th Battalion, King's Own in France and Flanders - Domestic Life

Field Kitchens, 1915.
Accession Number KO0784/076

Cook House, Sergeant G Streeton and his staff, near Ypres, 1915.  Sergeant Streeton, number 822/240055, worked at Storey Brothers in Lancaster.
Accession Number KO0784/077 

Private H Greg, roasting joints in 'Dutch' ovens, 1915.
Accession Number KO0784/079 

Corporal Parsonage, part of the Quartermaster's Department and the dog 'Shrapnel', 1915.  George Parsonage, number 47, arrived in France on 14th February 1915 and was discharged on 1st April 1916.
Accession Number KO0784/088

There is a poem about 'Shrapnel', within the archive of Captain Albert Hodgkinson, the Quartermaster of the 1st/5th Battalion, King’s Own Royal Lancaster Regiment.
Ode in honour of our Regimental Pet ‘Shrapnel’ who attained the honour attending maternity  1st May 1916 at Saulty, Pas De Calais.

All Hail! The bonny first of May
In all the year, of days the day
When Earth seems bright with sunshine and glitter
Today our hearts are unco glad
For though we dinna ken the dad
‘tis true our dear old Shrap has had some litter

Long since we picked her up at Ypres
E’vn then we vowed that we would keep her
As time rolled on our love grew deeper and more
That she’s become a petite mere
It surely would be hardly fair
To ‘see her off’ – a dog so rare!  Bow-wow!

Of rats she’d take no kind of heed
She’d lots of points, with little breed,
And now she but to lie and feed her pups
They number just a lucky three
But though they have no pedigree
Their butchers if they die will be Herr Krupps

They came when times were bad, its true
In time they’ll be reduced to two.
The price of meal (and puppies too) is up.
When I this fact to you unfold
Do no despair – for I’ve been told
That Kaiser Billy had been sold “Von Pup”
CQMS Ewan, 1 May 1916

By Acting Colour Sergeant James Ewan, number 2043 / 240472, 1st/5th King’s Own.

Ablution benches, with wooden huts visible in the tree line, near Ypres, 1915.
Accession Number KO0784/063

'Chatting' or removing the flees and lice from clothing.
Accession Number KO0784/064 

Chatting' or 'de-lousing' in the trenches near Ypres.
Accession Number KO0784/066

Reducing officers kitbags to 35 lbs in weight.  Near Ypres, 1915.
Accession Number KO0784/089