War Snippets - Our Four-legged and Feathered Friends

My great-grandfather's regiment (likely to be his main regiment, the mounted military police,) with a puppy in the front row

The animals of world war one also deserve a little recognition. Of course, the success of War Horse has raised the profile of these deserving animal friends, but there's still very little the public knows about the animal contribution to the war. There's an interesting overview of the Blue Cross' involvement with war horses here. Many officers used horses as a means of transport around the trenches, with some regiments - such as the Mounted Military Police - generally riding horses, regardless of rank.

Pigeons also served as messengers in both wars, risking their lives to deliver messages and keep the lines of communication going. Thousands served and died in the first world war alone.

Dogs also worked as messengers, as well as carrying aid, sniffing out soldiers, and acting as watchdogs. Several also helped carry equipment such as machine guns. As well as, of course, the odd regimental mascot. Thousands of dogs served in the trenches in one capacity or another, as many as 7000 had previously been pets.