Animals in World War One. The Forgotten Army.

г. Подольск

2019г.

Contents

Introduction        3

Research Question        3

Goal        3

Objectives        3

Project Phases        3

Research Methods        3

Theoretical Part        4

Animals in WWI        4

Transporters        4

Workers        4

Messengers        5

Helpers and Mascots        5

Animals in WWI – a tribute        6

The End of WWI        7

Practical Part        7

Conclusion        8

References        8

Introduction

100 years ago at 11 a.m., silence replaced the thunder of war on the front lines. World War One was over having taken millions of lives, left Europe in ruins and those who had survived with a hope that it would never happen again. Unfortunately, people did not learn that horrible lesson. About twenty years later Europeans had to face the horrors of World War Two. Now we are on the brink of World War Three.

In order to prevent this catastrophe we should learn these lessons from the past.

However, they were not only people who fought bravely on the battlefields. There were also some animals, which shared the hardships of wartime with people helping them and making their life less desperate.

Research Question

What animals were engaged in fighting during WWI?

Goal

To outline the role some animals played during WWI.

Objectives

1. To find major information on WWI and its impact on Britain.
2. To find out how animals could help British soldiers to survive in WWI.
3. To analyze the information and draw conclusions.
4. To carry out a survey on what my classmates know about animals, which helped during WWI.
5. To design a slide show presenting the results.

Topicality

On the 11th of November 2018 World Leaders Solemnly Mark the Centennial of World War I. They drove home the message “never again” but also exposed the globe’s new political fault lines.

This international event showed the world that we should never forget the horrors of wars.

Project Phases

1. Initiation: discussing and formulating the theme of the project
2. Planning: project plan development  
3. Development: searching for information, analyzing
4. Implementation: construction of the actual project result
5. Presentation
6. Evaluation

Research Methods

1. Online research
2. Comparison
3. Analysis
4. Generalization

The product of the project is a slide show presenting the research results.

Theoretical Part

World War I, also known as the Great War, was a global war originating in Europe that lasted from 28 July 1914 to 11 November 1918. It was described as the "War to end all wars". Battles took place in France, Luxembourg and Belgium, called the Western Front; and in Russia, called the Eastern Front.

WWI led to recruitment of more than 70 million military personnel.

The total casualties comprised about 40 million people.

The European powers were divided into two coalitions:

The Triple Alliance (the Central Powers): Germany, Austria-Hungary and Italy.

The Triple Entente (the Allied Powers): Great Britain, France and Russia.

Thanks to new military technologies and the horrors of trench warfare, World War I saw unprecedented levels of carnage and destruction.

WWI was one of the deadliest conflicts in history. It brought about major political changes around the world, including the Revolutions of 1917–1923.

Animals in WWI

Over the years different animals have made an invaluable contribution to British military history. Useful companions and dependable comrades, animals served, suffered, and died alongside the nation’s soldiers.

Animals generally lived in worse conditions than soldiers. Animals were subjected to artillery fire and gas attacks. Special nose plugs for horses were developed to enable them to breathe during a gas attack; gas masks were later developed for both dogs and horses.

Transporters

During the war, millions of horses were used in many different roles. They served in cavalry. But soon it became obvious that men on horses could not win the war in the trenches. The muddy ground and machine guns made it very difficult for horses, so they were used for transportation instead.

Horses and mules got food and equipment to the front line.

Ambulance horses carried wounded soldiers and artillery horses carried weapons, ammunition and other heavy loads. In total, around 8 million horses from all sides died during the war.

Donkeys and mules were sometimes used to pull heavy equipment, including artillery. Elephants were taken from circuses and zoos and photographs of them pulling heavy guns were used to show people back home that even exotic animals were 'doing their bit' in the war effort.

Workers

As the network of trenches spread throughout the Western Front during WWI, so did the number of dogs. Both the German and Allied sides employed dogs on the battlefield.

Dogs were some of the hardest and most trusted workers in World War One. The most popular dogs were medium-sized, like Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds. They were very agile and their darker coats allowed them to slip unseen through the battlefield at night.

Sentry dogs stayed with one soldier or guard and were taught to give a warning sound such as growling or barking when they sensed a stranger in the area or close to camp. Many Dobermans were used as sentry dogs.

Scout dogs were used to find the enemy. They were trained to be very quiet and well-behaved while they walked alongside soldiers patrolling the area. They could detect smells up to 1000 yards away which was much better than the sense of any man. Unlike sentry dogs they were trained not to bark as this would draw attention to the soldiers. Instead they would give a silent signal, like raising their tail, to let soldiers know that the enemy was on his way.

Casualty dogs  – also called mercy dogs –were trained to find wounded or dying soldiers on the battlefield. They carried medical equipment so an injured soldier could treat himself and they would also stay beside a dying soldier to keep him company.

Some dogs were used to help lay telephone wires over long distances. Smaller dogs were also used inside the trenches.

Some dogs were called 'ratters' and were trained to hunt and kill the rats that infested the trenches.

Messengers

Most communication systems used in the war broke down easily. Animals were often the most reliable way to transport messages. Dogs helped to get messages across the front line from one base to another. They were faster than humans, less of a target for the enemy and could run through difficult conditions.

100,000 carrier pigeons were used as messengers during the war. Pigeons always flew home when released, so the troops made sure the pigeons' nests were in places they needed to send messages. At the Battle of Marne, the pigeons advanced with the French troops as they attacked. Whenever troops needed to get a message back to their base, they tied it to one of the pigeons. It would fly home and deliver the message.

Pigeons were far more reliable than man-made machinery to get messages from one military base to another. In fact, records say they delivered 95% of their messages correctly. Pigeons were kept at military bases and headquarters. Sometimes they were also kept in unusual places, like old London buses which were brought over from England. Pigeons became so valuable the British government issued a poster saying "Killing or wounding homing pigeons is punishable under the Defence of the Realm regulations by six months imprisonment or £100 fine".

The Germans also used pigeons. Some were even seen with cameras attached. This was most likely used to take photographs of enemy troop positions.

Helpers and Mascots

Some animals served as pets and companions for the soldiers, keeping them company and helping them forget about the horrors of the war. One such pet, who later became the most honoured war dog ever, was an American dog called Sergeant Stubby.

After his experience of a gas attack, Stubby got to know the smell very well. Dogs have a greater sense of smell than humans and Stubby was able to smell the gas before any of the human soldiers could. He became very useful in alerting his army when a gas attack was coming.

On one occasion, the whole of his camp was sleeping when the Germans started a gas attack. Stubby smelt the gas straight away and ran through the trench barking and biting the soldiers' shirts to let them know what was happening. He saved all of their lives.

Stubby also had great hearing and knew when the enemy was coming, even if they were far away. He was able to make a movement with his tail to tell his soldiers when enemies were approaching. He could do this without making a noise so the enemy did not know they had been spotted.

As a result of his acts of bravery, Stubby was given the unofficial rank of Sergeant. This meant that he gained a higher rank than his human friend Conroy. After the war, the Humane Society awarded Sergeant Stubby a medal for heroism. 

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 or possible attacks by making noises and tugging on their clothing.

Jimmy 'The Sergeant' was a donkey born at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Jimmy was wounded three times during World War One. He learnt to raise his hoof in salute by soldiers who brought him up. After the war, Jimmy raised thousands of pounds for the RSPCA charity.

Cats were a common sight both in the trenches and aboard ships, where they hunted mice and rats. An estimated 500,000 cats were dispatched to the trenches, where they killed vermin and were used to detect gas. Beyond their “official” duties, they were also embraced as mascots and pets by the soldiers and sailors with whom they served.

A Royal Air Force Squadron kept a fox. Another band of soldiers kept an eagle. One Polish soldier, fighting in Persia, found a bear. Others kept smaller mascots in jars in their trenches. Many of these were seen as lucky and the soldiers were also able to show their caring side by looking after animals during the war.

Glow-worms give off light through a process called bioluminescence. They were reported to have been used in the trenches by some soldiers. Their light became very useful to men as the trenches could be very dark. When they realised that glow-worms gave off light, soldiers started to collect them. Thousands were kept in jars and used as lanterns. The glow-worms meant soldiers could read maps, letters and intelligence reports inside the trenches and they did not have to risk their lives going above ground to get some light.

Animals in WWI – a tribute

It has been estimated that eight million horses and one million dogs died during WWI.

In November 2004 the Animals in War Memorial was unveiled in London’s Hyde Park to pay tribute to all the animals that served, suffered and died in war. It bears the inscription: “This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time. They had no choice.”

Red poppies are an enduring symbol of remembrance to commemorate our war dead. The purple poppy commemorates the contribution and sacrifice of animals in war.

The End of WWI

WWI ended at 11am on 11 November, 1918. This became known as Armistice Day - the day Germany signed an agreement for peace which caused the fighting to stop.

Germany lost the war.

Many people felt it was wrong to celebrate at the end of the war because so many had died. When the church bells struck 11 o’clock on 11 November 1919, one year after the war, people all over the country bowed their heads.

Ever since the first Remembrance Day, people have followed the same tradition. Every year on 11 November they stop for a short moment of reflection. People also wear red poppies on this day as it is considered to be a symbol of peace in Great Britain.

However, there was one more numerous but forgotten army which contributed greatly to the victory in that deadly war. It is the Army of wartime animals. They served, suffered, and died alongside the nation’s soldiers being useful companions and dependable comrades and they had no choice.

In 2006 the purple poppy was created as a symbol of remembrance in the United Kingdom for animals that served during wartime. There is a specified purple poppy day in addition to Remembrance Day on 11 November where purple poppies would be worn. The date is movable, however. In 2018, in order to coincide with 100 years since the end of the First World War, 23 August was chosen as purple poppy day to coincide with the Battle of Mons. This was the date of the first battle between British and German forces during the First World War.

None of those who fought for peace should ever be forgotten.

Practical Part

In order to assess my classmates’ knowledge of the subject they were asked a question:

1. What animals were used during WWI?

The research was conducted among the students of class 9A (14 students). The results are presented in Table 1.

Table 1

The percentage of correct answers:

The research shows that all the students know about wartime dogs, horses and pigeons.

They know very little about other animals which contributed to the victory in the war.  

Conclusion

1. WWI was one of the deadliest conflicts in the history of mankind.
2. WWI saw new technique of warfare and employed the latest developments of technology which caused even more casualties.
3. Alongside the nation’s soldiers the wartime animals served, suffered, and died. Unfortunately, we seldom pay tribute to this Forgotten Army.
4. None of those who fought for peace should ever be forgotten.

References

1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/guides/zqhxvcw
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/0/ww1/25403862 
3. https://www.bbc.com/bitesize/articles/z749xyc