Animals during Wartime - First World War

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The mighty Warrior: One of military history's last cavalry charges
General Jack Seely and his horse Warrior lad one of the last great cavalry charges in military history - at Moreuil Wood, on the banks of the Avre river. Victory would secure the river bank and help halt the German Spring Offensive of 1918. Behind Warrior were the 1,000 horses of the Canadian Cavalry. In the 10 days since the German breakthrough against the 5th Army, they had trekked a 120 mile to get round the spearhead of the German advance. Legend has it that General Jack Seely later recommended Warrior for the Victoria Cross medal with the simple citation: "He went everywhere I went." [ telegraph :: 2008-03-24 :: Generals & Leaders ]

A million horses were sent to fight in the Great War: 62000 came back
A great horse rears amid the boom of bombardment; careers in terror from the path of an advancing battle tank; struggles to free itself from treacherous swirls of barbed wire... Images of man's exploitation of animals carried to extremity amid the horrors of World War I. It was bold to set out to depict such scenes on a London stage. But the National Theatre is enjoying a triumph with its production of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse. We know that WWI killed some 10 million fighting men. Much less known is the fate of a million horses, sent to France 1914-1918. Only 62,000 returned. [ dailymail :: 2007-11-09 ]

Heartfelt letter saved pony from the First World War call-up
Touching correspondence between a Wigan schoolgirl Freda Hewlett and Secretary of State Lord Kitchener over the fate of her beloved pony have surfaced 93 years later at a major exhibition "The Animals' War" at the Imperial War Museum North. She wrote begging him not to call up her 17yo pony Betty for active duty at the outbreak of WW1 in 1914. She appeals to Kitchener's softer side, pointing out that the pony is in foal, and her family have already given 2 horses to the Army while 3 family members have responded to "Your Country Needs You" poster. His secretary replied to reassure Freda that there was no danger of Betty being needed, not least because she was too small. [ wigantoday :: 2007-06-07 :: Animals during Wartime ]

In pictures: The Animals' War on show at the at Imperial War Museum
The Animals' War is currently on show at the at Imperial War Museum North. Some photographs: A German messenger dog leaps a trench on the Western Front in 1916. --- During World War I pigeons were frequently used to carry messages from tanks. [ bbc :: 2007-05-26 :: Animals during Wartime ]

Has a cat ever received military honors?
Article no longer available from the original source.
Cats have done their share of soldiering through history. Persians took cats into battle against the Egyptians because Egyptians considered them sacred. According to The People a cat named Charlie was cited as the last official cat at the Chatham Dockyard's Royal Navy Base. Run over in 1981, Charlie was buried with full military honors. In World War I, the British unleashed more than 500 felines to the front lines to sniff out lethal gases. Mourka, a Soviet cat, carried messages in 1942 during the siege of Stalingrad. [ azstarnet :: 2007-03-09 :: Animals during Wartime ]

Indian army: first and only cavalry charge of the Somme battle
As the Battle of the Somme is marked, the Indian army also has good reason for remembrance. Two Indian regiments took part in the first and only cavalry charge of the battle but were forced to retreat under heavy fire. "This probably reinforced the increasing realisation among British generals that cavalry charges using horses were a thing of the past," says Imperial War Museum historian Nigel Steel. The cavalry charge on 14 July was conducted by two regiments, the 20th Deccan Horse and the British Seventh Dragoon Guards, who were supported by another Indian regiment, the 34th Poona Horse. [ bbc :: 2006-07-14 :: Battle of the Somme ]

Four-legged WW1 hero whose keen sense of gas saved lives
A tiny helmet and cape once worn by the Twin Cities only four-legged World War I veteran have been donated to the Dennison Railroad Depot Museum. The items belonged to Bing, a bulldog that accompanied Louis Gray of Dennison and his brothers Frank and Earl to Europe during the war. They smuggled the dog on a troop ship, and Bing served with them in the trenches in France. According to Mildred Perkins of Dover, who donated the items to the museum, Bing would alert the troops of German poison gas attacks. "He had a keen sense of gas. He saved many lives." [ timesreporter :: 2006-06-16 :: Animals during Wartime ]

World War I Canine Hero Honored at Phila. Museum
A new exhibit at the Atwater Kent Museum features World War I hero, Philly the Dog. "Philly the Dog" stands inside her case in a gallery of the Atwater Kent Museum, complete with her regiment's insignia draped across her back -- a genuine hero of World War One. "Philly came from Philadelphia with the 315th Infantry Regiment. She was sneaked aboard a transport ship in World War One and taken over to the war, where she proved to be a good luck charm for the troops in the trenches by barking to warn them that German troops were advancing." [ kyw1060 :: 2006-05-28 :: Animals during Wartime ]

British War Dogs In The Great War
Lt.-Col. E.H. Richardson who ran the War Dog Training School was mainly responsible for the appearance of messenger dogs in the British Army in WW1. Originally the idea to use dogs came from the Red Cross who wanted to use ambulance dogs, but this idea was deemed unsuccessful as early as the battle of Antwerp, the French banned the use of ambulance dogs within a few weeks of the war beginning. Lt-Col Richardson then started training sentry and patrol dogs around about autumn 1914 and found the Airedale to be well suited for this task. In the winter of 1916 he trained and supplied two Airedales (Wolf and Prince) for use as message carriers, they both served with success. [ freespace :: 2006-01-19 :: Animals during Wartime ]

War memorial for all brave creatures great and small
Eight million horses are believed to have died in the First World War, most from exposure, disease or starvation while carrying men, ammunition and equipment. From mighty stallions killed by bullets or starvation to tiny glow worms that lit up the trenches, all were finally honoured with a memorial dedicated to all creatures, great and small, who served in time of war. In Park Lane the Princess Royal unveiled the first permanent tribute to the horses, dogs, pigeons, elephants and others on whose skills the British have depended in times of conflict. [ telegraph :: 2004-11-26 :: Animals during Wartime ]

Pigeons During the Two World Wars
During World War I some actions were undertaken after forces were informed by photos taken by military pigeons. German forces took possession of more than one million Belgian race pigeons. Airplanes and war-ships were always accompanied by racing pigeons. Military pigeons brought 717 tidings of crashed airplanes at sea. 95% of the military pigeons returned from their mission. Many birds were badly injured. Cher Ami reached his loft although he was wounded very badly. He saved 194 lives of the "Lost Battalion". [ pigeonclubsusa :: 2001-04-14 :: Animals during Wartime ]

First World War in the News is an edited review of hand-picked World War I 1914-1918 articles.