The British, Commonwealth and Allied forces enlisted many millions of
animals to serve and often die alongside their armies. These animals
were chosen for a variety of their natural instincts and vast numbers
were killed, often suffering agonising deaths from wounds, starvation,
thirst, exhaustion, disease and exposure.
Horses, Mules and Donkeys
Eight million horses and countless mules and donkeys died in the First
World War. They were used to transport ammunition and supplies to the
front and many died, not only from the horrors of shellfire but also in
terrible weather and appalling conditions. Mules were found to have
tremendous stamina in extreme climates and over the most difficult
terrain, serving courageously in the freezing mud on the Western Front
and later at Monte Cassino in World War II. Equally they toiled
unflinchingly in the oppressive heat of Burma, Eritrea and Tunisia.
There are many inspiring and often tragic stories of the great devotion
and loyalty shown between horses, mules and donkeys and their masters
during some of the bloodiest conflicts of the 20th century, as can be
read in Jilly Cooper's moving book Animals in War, published by Corgi.
Other Animals who served and died
Dogs
Pigeons
Elephants
Camels
Oxen
Bullocks
Cats
Canaries
Glow worms
Source The Animals in War Memorial. The Memorial is a fitting and lasting tribute to them all.
Image Frank Vincentz licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported
