Blackie was a horse that served with the 275th Brigade Royal Field Artillery 'A' Battery - 55th West Lancashire Division during World War I, alongside his Master and friend, the War Poet, Lieutenant Leonard Comer Wall. Details of Blackie's early life are not known, although he is believed to have been born c1905.
Wall was born in West Kirby, Wirral in 1896 and attended Clifton College, Bristol. Lieutenant Wall composed a number of poems during his active service on the Front. One of his poems known as 'The Rose of Lancaster', which was written in Flanders in April 1917, included the line 'We win or die who wear the Rose of Lancaster'. The line was adopted later in 1917 as the Motto of the 55th West Lancashire Division and encircles the divisional sign. Metal discs were produced bearing the Crest of the division and the poetic line were placed on the graves of those in the division killed during the war. The Motto is also carved on the Monument to the 55th Division in the Grade I-listed Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ, Liverpool.
On June 8,1917, one week after his promotion with 'A' Battery, 275th (West Lancashire) LT Wall was hit by shrapnel from an exploding shell aimed at a nearby gun emplacement. He was riding Blackie. They were providing artillery support to the infantry and tank advance. LT Wall died later that next day at the age of 20. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge in the Belgian province of West Flanders. His gravestone is inscribed with the beloved line from his poem. He is also commemorated on a Memorial inside the St Bridget's Church at West Kirby, and on the Hoylake and West Kirby Wat Memorial, that stands on the top of Grange Hill. Blackie sustained severe shrapnel injuries, but recovered and remained in service on the Front for the rest of the War. By the end of the War he had taken part in the battles of Arras, Somme, Ypres and Cambrai. In LT Wall's will he requested that if he did not survive the War that his faithful horse, Blackie, be buried with his medals and decorations.
2nd Lieutenant (Driver) Francis "Frank" Wilkinson was Blackie's Groom. He was Killed In Action June 8, 1917 at the age of 23 and is also buried at Lijssenthoek.
After the war, LT Wall's Mother, Kate Earle, bought Blackie from the Army and returned him to England. He was lent to the Territorial Army Riding School in Liverpool until he was pensioned off. Blackie was known to have led Liverpool's May Day Horse Parade, along with another ex War-Horse known as 'Billy', and was adorned with his master's medals. He lived to be 37 years old and had become blind.
Blackie died in 1942. He still had shrapnel scars.
Blackie's death received press coverage across Britain, from the local Liverpool Daily Post to the Gloucester Citizen, Portsmouth Evening News, and Dundee Evening Telegraph.
Wall was born in West Kirby, Wirral in 1896 and attended Clifton College, Bristol. Lieutenant Wall composed a number of poems during his active service on the Front. One of his poems known as 'The Rose of Lancaster', which was written in Flanders in April 1917, included the line 'We win or die who wear the Rose of Lancaster'. The line was adopted later in 1917 as the Motto of the 55th West Lancashire Division and encircles the divisional sign. Metal discs were produced bearing the Crest of the division and the poetic line were placed on the graves of those in the division killed during the war. The Motto is also carved on the Monument to the 55th Division in the Grade I-listed Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ, Liverpool.
On June 8,1917, one week after his promotion with 'A' Battery, 275th (West Lancashire) LT Wall was hit by shrapnel from an exploding shell aimed at a nearby gun emplacement. He was riding Blackie. They were providing artillery support to the infantry and tank advance. LT Wall died later that next day at the age of 20. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge in the Belgian province of West Flanders. His gravestone is inscribed with the beloved line from his poem. He is also commemorated on a Memorial inside the St Bridget's Church at West Kirby, and on the Hoylake and West Kirby Wat Memorial, that stands on the top of Grange Hill. Blackie sustained severe shrapnel injuries, but recovered and remained in service on the Front for the rest of the War. By the end of the War he had taken part in the battles of Arras, Somme, Ypres and Cambrai. In LT Wall's will he requested that if he did not survive the War that his faithful horse, Blackie, be buried with his medals and decorations.
2nd Lieutenant (Driver) Francis "Frank" Wilkinson was Blackie's Groom. He was Killed In Action June 8, 1917 at the age of 23 and is also buried at Lijssenthoek.
After the war, LT Wall's Mother, Kate Earle, bought Blackie from the Army and returned him to England. He was lent to the Territorial Army Riding School in Liverpool until he was pensioned off. Blackie was known to have led Liverpool's May Day Horse Parade, along with another ex War-Horse known as 'Billy', and was adorned with his master's medals. He lived to be 37 years old and had become blind.
Blackie died in 1942. He still had shrapnel scars.
Blackie's death received press coverage across Britain, from the local Liverpool Daily Post to the Gloucester Citizen, Portsmouth Evening News, and Dundee Evening Telegraph.
Blackie was a horse that served with the 275th Brigade Royal Field Artillery 'A' Battery - 55th West Lancashire Division during World War I, alongside his Master and friend, the War Poet, Lieutenant Leonard Comer Wall. Details of Blackie's early life are not known, although he is believed to have been born c1905.
Wall was born in West Kirby, Wirral in 1896 and attended Clifton College, Bristol. Lieutenant Wall composed a number of poems during his active service on the Front. One of his poems known as 'The Rose of Lancaster', which was written in Flanders in April 1917, included the line 'We win or die who wear the Rose of Lancaster'. The line was adopted later in 1917 as the Motto of the 55th West Lancashire Division and encircles the divisional sign. Metal discs were produced bearing the Crest of the division and the poetic line were placed on the graves of those in the division killed during the war. The Motto is also carved on the Monument to the 55th Division in the Grade I-listed Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ, Liverpool.
On June 8,1917, one week after his promotion with 'A' Battery, 275th (West Lancashire) LT Wall was hit by shrapnel from an exploding shell aimed at a nearby gun emplacement. He was riding Blackie. They were providing artillery support to the infantry and tank advance. LT Wall died later that next day at the age of 20. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge in the Belgian province of West Flanders. His gravestone is inscribed with the beloved line from his poem. He is also commemorated on a Memorial inside the St Bridget's Church at West Kirby, and on the Hoylake and West Kirby Wat Memorial, that stands on the top of Grange Hill. Blackie sustained severe shrapnel injuries, but recovered and remained in service on the Front for the rest of the War. By the end of the War he had taken part in the battles of Arras, Somme, Ypres and Cambrai. In LT Wall's will he requested that if he did not survive the War that his faithful horse, Blackie, be buried with his medals and decorations.
2nd Lieutenant (Driver) Francis "Frank" Wilkinson was Blackie's Groom. He was Killed In Action June 8, 1917 at the age of 23 and is also buried at Lijssenthoek.
After the war, LT Wall's Mother, Kate Earle, bought Blackie from the Army and returned him to England. He was lent to the Territorial Army Riding School in Liverpool until he was pensioned off. Blackie was known to have led Liverpool's May Day Horse Parade, along with another ex War-Horse known as 'Billy', and was adorned with his master's medals. He lived to be 37 years old and had become blind.
Blackie died in 1942. He still had shrapnel scars.
Blackie's death received press coverage across Britain, from the local Liverpool Daily Post to the Gloucester Citizen, Portsmouth Evening News, and Dundee Evening Telegraph.
Wall was born in West Kirby, Wirral in 1896 and attended Clifton College, Bristol. Lieutenant Wall composed a number of poems during his active service on the Front. One of his poems known as 'The Rose of Lancaster', which was written in Flanders in April 1917, included the line 'We win or die who wear the Rose of Lancaster'. The line was adopted later in 1917 as the Motto of the 55th West Lancashire Division and encircles the divisional sign. Metal discs were produced bearing the Crest of the division and the poetic line were placed on the graves of those in the division killed during the war. The Motto is also carved on the Monument to the 55th Division in the Grade I-listed Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ, Liverpool.
On June 8,1917, one week after his promotion with 'A' Battery, 275th (West Lancashire) LT Wall was hit by shrapnel from an exploding shell aimed at a nearby gun emplacement. He was riding Blackie. They were providing artillery support to the infantry and tank advance. LT Wall died later that next day at the age of 20. He is buried at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge in the Belgian province of West Flanders. His gravestone is inscribed with the beloved line from his poem. He is also commemorated on a Memorial inside the St Bridget's Church at West Kirby, and on the Hoylake and West Kirby Wat Memorial, that stands on the top of Grange Hill. Blackie sustained severe shrapnel injuries, but recovered and remained in service on the Front for the rest of the War. By the end of the War he had taken part in the battles of Arras, Somme, Ypres and Cambrai. In LT Wall's will he requested that if he did not survive the War that his faithful horse, Blackie, be buried with his medals and decorations.
2nd Lieutenant (Driver) Francis "Frank" Wilkinson was Blackie's Groom. He was Killed In Action June 8, 1917 at the age of 23 and is also buried at Lijssenthoek.
After the war, LT Wall's Mother, Kate Earle, bought Blackie from the Army and returned him to England. He was lent to the Territorial Army Riding School in Liverpool until he was pensioned off. Blackie was known to have led Liverpool's May Day Horse Parade, along with another ex War-Horse known as 'Billy', and was adorned with his master's medals. He lived to be 37 years old and had become blind.
Blackie died in 1942. He still had shrapnel scars.
Blackie's death received press coverage across Britain, from the local Liverpool Daily Post to the Gloucester Citizen, Portsmouth Evening News, and Dundee Evening Telegraph.
