WAR HORSE

ANIMALS IN WW1

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3. Sergent Stubby

2. Animals in WW1

1. Type of dogs

INDEX

Type of dogs

Dogs had a bunch of jobs in the war, especially in the trenches and no-men’s land. The most popular breeds of dogs were medium size trainable breeds; two that stand out were Doberman Pinschers and German Shepherds. Smaller breeds like terries were in common use as well, often as ratters in the trenches. Generally the roles of dogs in the war fell into the categories of: -- sentry dogs (to give a warning signal, a growl or a bark, when an unknown presence was in a secure area.), - scout dogs (they gave a warning signal, a growl or a bark, when an unknown presence was in a secure area.), - casualty dogs (they were equipped with medical supplies so wounded soldiers could help themselves and tend to their own wounds) ,- messengers dogs (they were fast and could go over pretty much any terrain), - ratters and mascot (was a psychological comfort that could relieve, even briefly, the everyday suffering of the war)

Animals in WW1

In addiction of millions upon millions of fighting men, there was a million of animals serving their nations, in conditions as bad or even worse than those of the soldiers. The animals had saved the life of the soldiers perhaps at the cost of its own life. The animals used in the war were horses, mules, dogs, goats, sheep, chickens, cows, bears and even foxes and pigeons. Dogs were used for transport in places and in climatic conditions that other animals could not tolerate; for searching for the wounded in battlefields or as an order bearer in inaccessible mountain areas. Small dogs were used in the trenches to raise the alarm in the event of an enemy assault, or to chase away the mice that infested them. Horses also played a great role as they were used as means of transporting heavy weapons or as ambulances that transported wounded soldiers. Equally useful in war were pigeons which were used for various activities. The most important was to carry messages over long distance often carrying news from the front line to Britain.

Sergeant Stubby

Sergeant Stubby died in 1926, when he was about 10 years old.

Sergeant Stubby (1916 – March 16, 1926) was a dog who served in the US Army during World War I. He was the most decorated war dog and the only one to have been promoted to the rank of sergeant in the US Army for merit in combat. It was the official mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, assigned to the 26th (Yankee) Division. Stubby served for 18 months and took part in seventeen battles on the Western Front. He was credited with saving his regiment from a series of surprise attacks with poison gas, being wounded several times and even capturing a German prisoner until an American soldier arrived. Upon his return to his homeland he became a celebrity also due to the media publicity given to him.

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