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    Animals in the First World War
    Animals in the First World War
    Animals in the First World War
    Ebook92 pages42 minutes

    Animals in the First World War

    By Neil R Storey

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    About this ebook

    The burden of the Great War was not shouldered by soldiers alone: the tasks, the camaraderie, the day-to-day life and the devastation were all shared with the animals that accompanied the forces abroad. The horses that took part in the last cavalry charges or hauled heavy guns are the most famous examples, but were far from alone: pigeons carried vital messages, dogs sniffed out wounded soldiers, camels were used as beasts of burden in the desert, and even ships' cats and baby orang-utans had their parts to play. From noted historian Neil R. Storey, this book looks at all the practical ways in which animals were essential to the war effort, but is equally interested in their roles as companions, mascots and morale boosters – on land, in the air and at sea. Neil R. Storey is a social and military historian specialising in the impact of war on society. He has written over twenty-five books, countless articles and has given lectures across the UK, including at the Imperial War Museum. He has acted as a consultant on a number of television documentaries and dramas.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherBloomsbury Publishing
    Release dateMar 10, 2014
    ISBN9780747814795
    Animals in the First World War

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    • 4/5
      The title is incredibly explanatory. The author covers the use of horses, dogs, camels, and assorted mascots, with a UK bent, although American, Australian, and German animals were mentioned a few times.The author manages to go into depth about these topics without being dry or boring. I'm so sad that this book was not a larger project. I wanted it to be much longer. The photos, page layout, and font were all great, as was the actual information and writing style. The details were all there; it was just too brief.
    • 4/5
      Great read about how they treated animals during the First World War!

    Book preview

    Animals in the First World War - Neil R Storey

    INTRODUCTION

    ANIMALS have been involved in warfare as long as man could ride a horse into battle or train a dog to attack. Early recorded history has horses in action carrying mounted troops and towing chariots in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. Even in this early period the warhorse became iconic in statues, jewellery, coins and mosaics, and was eulogised in script. One of the earliest recorded animals distinguished for its long, brave and noble performance both on campaign and in battle was Bucephalus, the warhorse of Alexander the Great, which, despite being mortally wounded, carried his master out of the fray unscathed at the Battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC. Alexander ensured his loyal horse was buried with full military honours and was even depicted on coins. Empire-building saw troops move over thousands of miles; most enduring is the true story of how Hannibal fought and crossed the Alps with elephants and 4,000 horsemen during the Second Punic War in 218 BC. In Britannia the Iceni tribe of East Anglia also venerated their horses in the early decades of the new millennium; they were depicted on their coinage and were led in battle against the Romans by Queen Boudicca in her horse-drawn chariot in AD 60. Indeed, for the majority of the next 1,000 years, campaigns, crusades, battles and wars were conducted on horseback – from the mounted cavalry of William the Conqueror in 1066 to Cromwell’s ‘Ironsides’ with their ‘lobster-tailed’ helmets and Prince Rupert’s cavalry during the English Civil War (1642–51).

    Warfare changed after the defeat of Napoleon at Waterloo in 1815. No longer was Britain embroiled in a costly European war, and the Industrial Revolution enabled the development and mass production of better firearms and weaponry. Britain became wealthy and powerful as it explored the world for gold, diamonds, minerals and resources, laying claim to them in the name of the Queen. Despite all this modernisation, steam trains and wheeled vehicles were still not practical modes of transport for soldiers wanting to cross rugged and uncharted terrain; it still fell to horses, ponies and mules to carry burdens, pull the supply wagons and bravely carry the cavalrymen into action as Britain fought its ‘small wars’ to acquire, occupy and defend the Empire.

    Sadly, although soldiers would care for their mounts – for often their lives depended upon them – military horses were, in general, treated very much as a means to an end until the latter part of the nineteenth century. At this point, public concern for those less fortunate – be they human or animal – was seen as a worthy, Christian and benevolent attitude, particularly amongst those who had benefited from the 1870 Education Act, in which the focus was not only the ‘three Rs’ but also the importance of national pride and duty to God, Queen and country.

    When the British Empire was at its military apogee the works of artists such as Lady Butler (Elizabeth Southerden Thompson) and Richard Caton Woodville evocatively captured the notable battles and engagement of the British Army. New technological developments meant that prints of their works were affordable to far greater numbers than ever before, and the homes of the patriotic and sentimental Victorians could not be without a Butler or Woodville for their wall. Prints and line illustrations of such actions or deeds of derring-do appeared in all manner of magazines, periodicals and books as visuals to inspire patriotic fervour and pride in the British Empire.

    One of the first images to capture the public’s imagination in this genre was Lady Butler’s Remnants of an Army, depicting William Brydon, an assistant surgeon in the Bengal Army, on his horse. Both are clearly battle-worn and desperately exhausted as they approach the gates of Jalalabad, for they were the first of

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