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Animals in World War One

Part ofHistoryWorld War OneYear 3Year 4

Why were animals useful in World War One?

War horses pulling a cart in a World War One battlefield

Before 1914 wars had mainly been fought by cavalries (soldiers who fought on horseback).
Now millions of horses were used to carry people and supplies.
Many other animals played a big part in the war as workers and mascots.

Watch: How animals helped soldiers

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Watch our video to find out more about animals in war.

What jobs did animals do?

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Horses carried wounded soldiers or weaponry
They had to be strong as fully armed and equipped soldiers were heavy. In total, around 8 million horses from all sides died during the war.
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Sentry dogs stayed with one soldier and guarded trenches
They were taught to give a warning sound such as growling or barking when they sensed a stranger close to camp. Many Dobermans were used as sentry dogs.
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Scout dogs were used to find the enemy
They could detect smells up to 1000 yards away. They were trained not to bark as this would draw attention. Instead they would give a silent signal, like raising their tail.
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Casualty dogs were trained to find wounded or dying soldiers
They carried medical equipment so an injured soldier could treat himself. They would also stay beside a dying soldier to keep him company.
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Carrier pigeons were used as messengers during the war
Pigeons always flew home when released, so troops made sure the pigeons' nests were in places where they needed to send messages.
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Some pigeons were kept in unusual places like old London buses
Homing pigeons became so valuable to the British army, the punishment for killing or wounding one was six months imprisonment or £100 fine.
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Elephants helped to pull artillery
Photos of elephants working were used to show people back home that even exotic animals were 'doing their bit' in the war effort.

Which animals were pets and mascots?

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Image source, © IWM Q 12166
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Men of No. 59 Squadron RAF with their pet rabbits at Vert Galland Aerodrome, 15 May 1918.
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Jimmy 'The Sergeant' was a donkey born at the Battle of the Somme
Jimmy was wounded three times during the war. He learnt to raise his hoof in salute. After the war, Jimmy raised thousands of pounds for the RSPCA charity.
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Jackie the baboon was taken to France by South African soldiers
Jackie had excellent eyesight and hearing and used to warn soldiers of enemy movement by making noises and tugging on their clothing.
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Togo the cat lived with the crew of the HMS Irresistible
Togo is pictured here sitting inside a canon on the battleship!
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A Royal Air Force Squadron kept a fox as a mascot
The RAF fox is pictured here sitting on a plane with a pilot during the war.
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A band of soldiers kept a golden eagle as a pet
This picture shows the eagle with a British officer in the Balkans in August, 1916.
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Chickens were kept in the trenches by some British soldiers
Keeping chickens allowed soldiers to have fresh eggs every day. This was helpful because their usual food rations were only small.
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Winnipeg 'Winnie' the bear was a mascot for Canadian soldiers
The Canadians gave Winnie to London Zoo in 1914. The writer AA Milne took his son Christopher Robin to the zoo, which inspired his famous stories about Winnie the Pooh.

Rats

A little terrier dog shows off its catch after a 15 minute rat hunt in French trenches, September 1916 — Image caption,
Dogs made excellent rat catchers. This terrier hunted in French trenches, September 1916.

Soldiers hated rats as they were smelly and spread diseases. They tried to get rid of them using clubs, bayonets and even guns.

Activity 1: Quiz – Animals during World War One

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