The young men who left for war over a century ago were full of hope and excitement.
They were proud young Patriots. They marched off to war and either perished in the mud of the battlefield or came home as different people.
I find it incredibly sad that so many have lost the ability or will to acknowledge those from the past who gave so much so that we could enjoy the life that we have. ( Or had? )
It is essential that we keep the past alive and honour it today. ANZAC Day is truly a day of remembrance and it should be treated with the utmost respect.
Where would our boys have been, had it not been for the animals who shared their burden?
So today, I want to pay homage to the brave horses, camels, dogs and even pigeons who served us so well in times of war and perished in piteous circumstances. They were among the mightiest of the mighty and dear and trusted mates.
In the First World War and in the Boer War , horses were indeed beasts of burden and what a burden they carried. They carried supplies. They carried the brave soldiers heading to battle. They carried the fear and the horror and they bore it all with quiet resignation.
(Photo source - © IWM Q 1565) Colourised by DougNe’er again to see England, in lands far away,
Through death and destruction, through blood sweat and tears,
I carried my master, along with my peers,
So I ask you to remember a while,
Along with the soldiers, in smart rank and file,
Remember our beauty, the strength of our kind,
As we galloped through danger, without care to mind,
For we were the horses thrust into war,
And we gave up our lives for your peace evermore.
The young men who left for war over a century ago were full of hope and excitement.
They were proud young Australians and Patriots. They marched off to war and either perished in the mud of the battlefield or came home as different people.
A few years ago, I received an email from Malcolm, a valued contributor here on patriotrealm.com from some time ago.
It said, so simply:
When Dad was in France in 1917 he was a driver of horses, and moved an 8 pounder gun around.
After the war they were not allowed to bring their horses home to Australia and many of them had the awful task of shooting them rather than leave them to a cruel life.
I had never spoken to him about this, and wonder if this cruel task was ever placed on his shoulders.
There is so much as youngsters we do not realise, and most of those men were understandably reluctant to talk about it anyway.
The Imperial Camel Corps
Camels were very useful in Sinai and Palestine. Tens of thousands were needed to get water to the soldiers, and they were also good for patrolling in the desert.
Later on they were also used to transport cameliers into battle, whereupon the riders would dismount to fight. They could also carry wounded men on stretchers placed on each side of the animal. Despite their usefulness, the camels were a rough ride, making transportation of the wounded uncomfortable and painful.
The Imperial Camel Corps Brigade was formed in 1916 from British and Commonwealth troops and was attached to the Anzac Mounted Division. There were four regiments: the 1st and 3rd were Australian, the 2nd was British, and the 4th was a mix of New Zealanders and Australians. Each regiment had around 770 men, and at full strength the brigade contained almost 4,000 camels.
Camels were well suited for life in the desert; they could carry around 145 kilograms and go without water for up to five days. Horses were also used by the troops, but required water daily. Initially transported from India and then Egypt, the camels could travel from 4.8 to 9.5 kilometres per hour.
In 1917 the brigade took part in the fighting at Gaza and Beersheba in Palestine. By the following year the country’s harsh terrain had made the camels less effective than horses. No longer needed, the Australian cameliers were transferred to the light horse. source
In this WW1 themed sound reel four Australian men voice their experiences of the Imperial Camel Corps. After Australian troops withdrew from Gallipoli in December 1915, the Ottoman Empire persuaded the pro-Turkish Senussi tribesmen to attack British-occupied Egypt. In January 1916, a Desert Mounted Corps was formed to deal with the revolt.
The Imperial Camel Corps formed four battalions: the 1st Battalion was entirely Australian, the 2nd Battalion was British, and the 3rd and 4th Battalions were a mix of Australians and New Zealanders.
There was also a machine gun unit, and a battery of light artillery recruited from Hong Kong and Singapore. From 1917 to 1918 the Camel Corps advanced north through Palestine and were a part of the attack on Beersheba, and the battles of Magdhaba, Romani, Gaza and Rafa.
The Camel Corps were notorious as rough men of less than desirable character, as a young private George Jones discovered when he moved from the Camel Corps to the Flying Corps; his new colleagues were far less tolerant of colourful language than he.
Regardless of this the men of the Camel Corps proved themselves to be inventive and effective in battle. The heavy losses suffered by the Camel Corps at the second battle of Gaza are recalled by William Logan, while Edward Duncan describes the difficulties of the 5th Camel Brigade Field Ambulance, and the agony suffered by the wounded that were transported by camel.
The Camel Corps was also an opportunity for Indigenous Australians to participate in mounted warfare, as many were turned away from the Light Horse. The Camel Corps was disbanded in June 1918, and the Australians were used to form the 14th and 15th Light Horse Regiments.
Dogs had a vital part to play in World War One as the complexes of trenches spread throughout the Western Front. It is estimated that by 1918, Germany had employed 30,000 dogs, Britain, France and Belgian over 20,000 and Italy 3000.
Dogs had many different roles in the war such as the role of sentry dogs, scout dogs, casualty dogs, explosive dogs, ratters and mascot dogs, they were also loyal and good companions to a lonely soldier.
Many of the countries involved in World War I had war dog training schools in place prior to the conflict. France, Britain, Belgium, Germany, and Russia all recognized the value of trained dogs on the battlefield. The conventional wisdom favored pedigreed dogs: Jack Russell terriers for chasing rats out of trenches; German shepherds, Chiens de Brie, and Alsatian sheep dogs for sentry duty. Airedale terriers were considered good messenger dogs. Siberian huskies, naturally, were relied on for transport.
Dogs were also a key part of the Red Cross’ aid efforts, and every country had its own unit. Red Cross dogs, also called sanitary dogs or Sanitätshunde by the Germans, negotiated battlefields and no-man’s lands to aid wounded men. Saddle bags stocked with water and medical supplies were strapped to their backs. Because they wore the Red Cross symbol, these dogs were, in theory, protected from being shot by the enemy. Often, the dogs simply provided comfort and a warm body to dying men on battlefields. source
Pigeons played a vital part in World War One as they proved to be an extremely reliable way of sending messages. Such was the importance of pigeons that over 100,000 were used in the war with an astonishing success rate of 95% getting through to their destination with their message.The importance of pigeons was also reflected in a clause in the Defence of the Realm Act passed during the war which imposed a 6 month jail term or £100 fine on anyone wounding, or harming homing pigeons.
Pigeons had a few roles but the main one was definitely sending messages to and from places they also had tracking devices and some could take pictures of the ground below as seen in this picture. source
In today's modern theatre of war, it is not the horse or pigeon but the dog who faces the foe alongside his best friend.
The dogs abandoned by Biden in Afghanistan was such a great travesty. Left on the tarmac after an appallingly ill thought out withdrawl. So similar to the horses left behind in Europe during World War I.
The pain of leaving a beloved colleague - a mate - must have been horrific.
Dogs, today, have replaced the horse as the animal in war.
These devoted friends give so much.
I cannot help but think that our animals are much under rated troopers who we, as a People, tend to under value.
But, like the soldiers in the Great War, our boys in the modern military in all countries look after their mates.
It is time to acknowledge those quiet heroes who serve without question. Bear their load and take the toll.
After all, no one asked them if they wished to serve. They simply served their master, their best friend and said " what do you want me to do? I am here. ":
Footnote:
Did you know 9 million four-legged and winged animals lost their lives in WWI? You can wear a purple poppy on its own or alongside a red poppy to commemorate animals of war who have sacrificed their lives past and present.
Contributor Sugar Glider shared this post earlier and I thought it was a fitting inclusion here. Monty.
Nearly 1000 donated purple poppies from all over Australia, 140 hours of sewing by the lovely Ladies in the “Let’s Unwind” Monday Crochet group!
The Purple Poppy Horse Blanket 2024 to honour all animals that served in war, to be donated to the Cleveland RSL museum and worn on a horse in the parade this ANZAC Day.
