Boswell's Galloping Farmers: A Soldier's Story

BACKGROUND

Sandy Barclay, an Ayrshire farmer's son, was a prizewinning ploughman. In 1915, however, he volunteered, along with many of his peers to join the Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick’s Own) Yeomanry. This was a volunteer cavalry regiment largely comprised of Ayrshire farmers - hence their nickname Boswell’s Galloping Farmers.  In the summer of 1915, while on annual camp at Barry in Angus, they were suddenly de-mounted, trained in the arts of trench warfare, and sent to fight the Ottoman Empire (‘Turkey’ in common parlance) in a distant part of south-eastern Europe. They really did have to learn on the job, and this they did with honour and distinction. 

SANDY'S MEMOIR

Sandy's memoir, written sixty years later, forms part of a collection of documents or monograph which capture the reality of day to day life in a struggle which ended in stalemate and which cost many lives. The story is a grim one, but is told with touches of humour by the pragmatic Sandy. The mongraph is entitled Boswell's Galloping Framers, — Ayrshire Yeoman at Gallipoli, October to December 1915 by Rob Close & William M Watson. It is available from Ayrshire Archaeological and Natural History Society

THE AUDIO DRAMA: BRINGING SANDY'S VOICE TO LIFE

We have adapted Sandy Barclay's account into an series of four short audio plays, with the aim of recording and producing it to a high standard for podcasting on all platforms and sharing with online radio stations across Scotland and the UK as well as internationally. But writing the script is only the start: we will work with actors, recording technicians, musicians and sound designers to bring Sandy's experience to life. As an audio series, we know it will be accessible by people who are visually impaired or who may be housebound for any reason.

Sandy and his mates started out as green recruits:

"When the shelling stopped, we were like stupid weans. We rushed out to look for fragments. And then we got shelled again" 

And in three short months became hardened  soldiers:

"You can’t tell the noise, the filth, the stench, the terror of being under fire, the horror of seeing your friends blown to pieces around you and of doing the same
to others."

It is a story that cries out to be told and we bring to life Sandy and some of his fellow soldiers through the medium of audio drama, which is accessible to sighted and visually challenged listeners alike. 

We hope to work with the talents of members of Ayrshire communities in recruiting actors, singers and musicians to heighten the drama of the story; where this work involves charitable organisations, we want to make a substantial donation to them for helping us.

MAKING AN AUDIO SERIES

Writers Jill Korn and Martin Gallagher are working with the original account of Sandy Barclay's experiences to dramatise it in four parts. We will need the help of actors, musicians and sound technicians to bring it to life, and we want to be able to pay them for their work. All of the money raised will go to the creative people who bring their skills to this project. We have contacts across the world and we know that this series, which will be freely available, will reach many people so that Sandy's story will not be lost but will live on as a reminder of the futility of war.

You can donate in sterling or in euros. Every donation will be gratefully received!