Children's Web Magazine

 

If you love animals then an exhibition about animals during the war will appeal to you. As soon as I heard about The Animals war at the Imperial War Museum in London I knew it was something I had to go and see. It was quite incredible what these animals did to help during the war and how they saved lives in the process.
One of the first things you see is a 16th - 17th century Polish armour. What is different about this one though is on the back there is a wooden frame with feathers which look similar to wings. This would then produce a buzzing noise which subsequently scared the horses and the enemy.
Horses went through a horrendous amount for they were used in battles before the invention of the tank.
The charge of the light brigade caused the death of five hundred horses out of six hundred and seventy - three that took part. One horse during the American Civil War was wounded fourteen times. The Duke of Wellington's horse Copenhagen who took part in the battle of waterloo was buried with full military honours when he died in 1830 at the age of twenty - two.
Cavalry are now only used for ceremonial purposes. But that doesn't stop them coming under attack. On the 20th July 1982 the IRA had planted a nail bomb in a car in Hyde Park. The bomb went off just as the household cavalry were riding past. Soldiers and civilians were killed and injured. Horses died too, a lot having to be put out of their pain and misery as they couldn't be saved. One horse called Sefton did survive though despite twenty - eight pieces of Shrapnel that had to be removed from him.
Bravery isn't the only thing animals are known for their natural instincts, intelligence, unique sense of smell and strength also play there part. Elephants were used during the Second World War in Burma, they helped build bridges and clear the roads by carrying materials, and they also transported provisions. Camels were also used as a form of transport during the First World War. In the Middle East they would carry food, water, medical equipment as well as ammunition. Each animal was only allowed to carry a maximum load. A mule could carry the least amount while not surprisingly an elephant carried the most.
Dogs were used to carry messages and they wore a canister on their collar to do so. The dogs first began to take messages in 1916 they were trained before hand. In the British and French armies there were twenty thousand dogs in 1917. We also know how dogs have been used for rescue. This is just as important today. In the September 11th attack on the twin towers dogs were used to find survivors. And Jake a Springer spaniel police dog secured a safe way through for the emergency services underground on 7th July 2005. He also assisted in looking for survivors and cleared the area where the bus bomb went off.
Pigeons were used to carry messages in the two world wars. Around five hundred thousand were used and twenty thousand died carrying out their duties. Pigeons proved so efficient when it came to sending messages that the Swiss army continued to use them until 1995. Two Pigeons attracted my attention Mary who was injured three times and had to have twenty - two stitches. She was used during the Second World War. Paddy was an Irish pigeon and he held the record for flying across from Normandy during D - Day in a time of four hours and fifty minutes.
Pouched rats are able to detect nearly all kinds of mines. It can take them just half an hour to clear an area of hundred and fifty square metres.
Animals I know have a unique sense of smell and if you have a dog you will be very aware of this. But I didn't know that a pig's sense of smell is better than a dog. They are not only cheaper to train as well but easier too.
Dolphins are known for their intelligence and are easy to train so it is no surprise that they could alert people to where sea mines lay. Sea lions also play a part at locating dubious items.
Animals of all kinds contributed in some way during wars. Parrots in the First World War were able to give a twenty minute warning from the Eiffel Tower of enemy aircraft that were coming. Small animals such as pigeons, chickens, canaries and mice could detect poison gas.
Animal instinct is further proof how important animals can be at saving lives or just being a loyal friend and companion who will be with you through thick and thin. A cat during the war kept moving her kittens downstairs. Her master kept moving the kittens back up; the cat knowing better moved them back downstairs. In the end her master gave up and moved the cat's basket to the place where she had put her kittens downstairs. A few days later the house was hit but due to the cats instinct her kittens were quite safe and well in their cubby hole downstairs. An Irish terrier who was a mascot for the Staffordshire regiment in 1914 was left behind by his master while he went off to fight in France. The dog then went missing and his master's wife wrote to tell him that he was missing. The dog though had journeyed a total of two hundred and sixty miles and had to cross the channel before finding his master in the trenches.
The amount of injuries animals suffered in the line of duty it is no wonder that they too were awarded a medal. The Dickin medal is named after Maria Dickin who opened on the 17th November 1917 the first people's dispensary for sick animals of the poor in London. The medal came about in 1942 and was awarded to animals to devotion to duty and gallantry. It is known as the animals V. C (Victoria Cross)
If you would like to know more about the exhibition then visit www.iwm.org.uk/animals it is on until 22nd April 2007 it then will be in North Manchester in the summer 2007.

© Children's Web Magazine 2006