Hello John,
I was not using that word lightly, nor was I using it in its current context either, but, the fact remains that the cavalry were considered special, moreover, you certainly don't need to be an expert to see it either, their role on the battlefield was very well defined and based on a hard earned reputation.
If you went to school in the 1890's and walked into many a Victorian classroom, you would often find the walls covered with reference to empire and in particular, the deeds of the cavalry, Aliwal and Balaclava were firm favorites.
What you have written here is interesting, Shepherd must have had his reasons for leaving, perhaps they were personal or family related, or perhaps he was just not up to it, the training at both Hounslow and Canterbury was often brutal to say the least, it must have been very hard for most and perhaps an 18 year old waiter would have found it really difficult to cope with.
It was certainly not unusual in some families to be the subject of ridicule if you "deserted" to join the army, because, when you did, you would take away, what was, so often, a necessary contribution to the family household income.
However, it tended to be just after the Anglo Boer War that the image of the army really began to suffer rather than before.
Regards Frank
rotti wrote: Hi Frank
I'm not surprised he got out who wants to be a donkey walloper lol and I don't think he would have paid more likely his family did as I do know they didn't want him to join, I think he was cut off from them once he rejoined
