Each year, we pause on Nov. 11 to remember those who served in our military, giving thanks as we listen to the bugle playing the Last Post. As we remember those men and women, we also need to take a moment to remember the soldiers who wore feathers or fur.
Various animals were utilized throughout the chaos and turmoil of the two World Wars. Domesticated animals such as cats, dogs, horses, mules, oxen and cows were commonly found with soldiers. There were times when more unorthodox and exotic animals like elephants, camels, reindeer, pigeons, mice, bats and even a spider were drafted for duty.
Domesticated animals such as horses and mules were used for transportation purposes or aiding in heavy manual labour. They often bore the weight of wagons or saddles to make long treks seem faster for their masters. When a war broke out, horses and mules moved from peaceful countryside and busy city streets to the front lines. Pulling wagons, carriages and plows would seem like a dream to them after enduring the frightening sights, sounds and smells of war.
In the days when the military had cavalry divisions, soldiers relied on horses and mules to speed up travelling long distances and saving soldiers energy for fighting. It was estimated eight million horses gave up their lives during the First World War, and between three and five million in the Second World War. The number of horses that perished dropped significantly due to the advancements in mechanical vehicles and weapons. Yet these animals still endured harsh conditions and difficult terrains, sometimes needing to wear gas masks.
Continuing with the four-legged animals, dogs also played vital roles throughout many wars. While some served as watchdogs, others were trained as combat dogs. The Red Cross trained some canines to help deliver medical supplies to injured soldiers. Other jobs the canine warriors carried out included carrying messages, laying telephone wires, sniffing out land mines and buried people, and search and rescue missions.
The dog’s most important job of all though was providing companionship to the soldiers. A dog often boosted morale for soldiers who were homesick or hurt, providing a ray of light during the darkest days of war. Often the dog would be considered the troop’s mascot and would be well taken care of by all those in the group. It is unknown how many dogs served their masters in the military during those troubling times.
Much like the men and women and animals who served on the ground, there were many who also took to the skies. Carrier pigeons were ideal animals who could deliver messages back and forth between bases. The National Pigeon Service supplied more than 200,000 birds to the British military alone, where the pigeons would infiltrate enemy lines sending false codes.
Pigeons were also drafted to the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. The birds would ride in special cases when travelling over enemy territory. In the event of being shot down or radios damaged, the pigeons would take a message back to rescue teams. The pigeons were also a key component in aerial reconnaissance work, flying over enemy bases with cameras strapped to their chests.
Many of these animals who served in the military are not forgotten. Over the course of time, many stories have been written about these heroic animals. One young cub became famous after the First World War, when its owner had to surrender the animal before going to the front lines.
Lt. Harry Colebourn, of Winnipeg, Man., who studied at the Ontario Veterinary College in 1911, enlisted with the Canadian Army only days after the launch of the First World War. On his way to training, he met a trapper who was trying to sell a young black bear cub during a brief stopover. The cub had been orphaned by the trapper and Colebourn’s heart was soon won over by the cub. The cub was purchased for $20 and was named Winnipeg.
While Colebourn trained for the war, Winnipeg was also being trained by the soldiers. The young female cub’s name was soon shortened to Winnie and was often found not too far from Colebourn. When the lieutenant was called overseas, he made sure Winnie was not left behind. It was once they landed that Colebourn had to make a difficult decision.
Winnie was placed at the London Zoo, which opened a new bear exhibit resembling the rugged terrain of Canada. With the hope the war would be short-lived, Colebourn promised Winnie he would be back to bring her home to Canada. Unfortunately, as the war continued, Winnie became bigger and older. After the war, Colebourne visited his companion at her new home and realized there was no plausible way for him to transport the animal back to Canada.
He left Winnie in London, where many young children would often visit the docile creature, including a young boy named Christopher Robin Milne. The young boy often asked his father to take him to see the bear, even changing his teddy’s name. This sparked the inspiration A.A. Milne needed to create the stories of Winnie the Pooh and friends.
Other stories that have been written about animals in the war include War Horse, Warrior, Smoky the Brave, The Dog Who Could Fly, Judy, Operation Columba and many more.
In 1917, Maria Dickin founded the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British veterinary charity. She established an award for those creatures who showed gallantry and devotion while on duty serving the British Empire, similar to the Victoria Cross for human soldiers.
Named the PDSA Dickin Medal, the medal was awarded to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses and a ship’s cat between the years 1943 and 1949. In 2000, the awarding of the medal was revived and 12 former recipients of the PDSA Animal Cemetery were afforded full military honours. As of Jan. 2023, the Dickin Medal has been awarded 74 times, including an honorary award to all animals who served in the First World War. Many of the recipients of the awards have their stories recorded online at
