ARTHUR Leech was born in 1884 at Over Peover, and farmed at Mill Bank Farm, Lower Peover, for more than 50 years.

He joined the Cheshire Yeomanry in 1907, at the age of 23. His father was in the same regiment for 21 years.

When the First World War broke out Arthur was a sergeant.

The Cheshire Yeomanry at this time was a mounted regiment, with a squadron drill station at Knutsford.

The splendid sight of the men in uniform on horses could often be seen in Tatton Park.

The Knutsford Guardian stated on August 14, 1914, at the beginning of the First World War, that ‘when on Tuesday the men were mounted in Tatton Park it was evident that all the best horses in the district had been requisitioned’.

Arthur was well known in agricultural circles in the Knutsford district, as his parents were farmers at Gleave House Farm in Mobberley.

He was a brilliant horseman and champion ploughman and worked with horses all his life.

It is therefore no surprise that during the First World War he was sent to Hull to train horses for the war effort, in a service called the ‘Remount Service’.

During the war British forces imported horses from countries around the world, including the USA and Canada.

For example, it is estimated that 1,000 horses a week were shipped from the USA, where there was a plentiful supply of half-wild horses on the open plains.

Horses aged three to 13 were trained as rapidly as possible by British soldiers and horsemen like Arthur.

Some horses were trained to harness for transporting goods and supplies; others were trained to pull the large artillery guns that weighed as much as taxis. The best horses were trained for cavalry. When they were ready the horses were formed into squadrons and sent to the Western Front.

There was a constant flow of thousands of horses and mules, crossing the oceans headed for war.

A publication in The Times in 1919 highlighted that by April 1, 1919, a similar depot to the one Arthur worked in had received 342,000 horses and mules.

Over the course of the war millions of horses and mules were purchased for the war effort, many of which suffered badly through enemy action, as well as exposure to the elements, hunger and illness.

Horses were however an essential part of the war effort, and experienced horsemen like Arthur played a vital role in assessing, training and looking after these horses.

In addition to his work in the Cheshire Yeomanry, Arthur was first and foremost a farmer.

Arthur farmed more than 100 acres at Mill Bank Farm, including arable and dairy farming.

He and his wife Edith had three children, Marjorie, William Arthur and Dorothy, and nine grandchildren.

Farming played a crucial role in the First World War. Keeping the population fed, military and civilian, was a key factor in maintaining not just physical strength, but also morale and commitment to the war effort.

In 1914 Britain imported more than 60 per cent of its total food, and 80 per cent of its wheat, which meant the country was vulnerable.

As German U-boats cut off trade routes and sank one in four merchant ships in the Atlantic the Government turned to British farmers to feed the nation during a time of crisis.

Arthur, along with many other farmers, was encouraged by the Government to use all land and increase the growing of wheat.

Where this wasn’t possible winter oats, barley and rye were to be planted.

The Government also recommended that the slaughter of immature or breeding stock should be avoided and the total head of livestock increased.

Following a poor harvest in 1916 due to severe weather a ‘Ploughing Up’ campaign was introduced in 1917 to turn pastures over to arable production.

Farmers in this country, including Arthur, faced a seemingly impossible task.

Feeding the nation with a shortage of horses, a lack of machinery and a short supply of men would be a challenge.

By 1918 the area of land under arable production had increased by 2.5 million acres, and Britain produced the largest harvest the country had ever seen.

The First World War saw a massive change in the way the UK farmed, however there is little doubt that farming and food production in Britain during the war was crucial to the nation’s survival.

There were food shortages and many problems, but Britain, unlike other countries, never faced famine, and farmers like Arthur played a crucial part in that.

During the Second World War Arthur acted as an advisor to other farmers in the area about which crops should be planted, in which fields, and how best to increase the production of food on the farm.

Arthur led an interesting life, having lived through two world wars, and was still riding his bike around the lanes of Lower Peover at the age of 92.

He is buried in Lower Peover churchyard, and will be remembered by many.