Dogs at War
Man's Best Friend Goes to War
Red Cross dogs in illustration - a French newsmagazine and from a German children's book
The CANINE AIDE: DOGS IN WAR.
several types of dogs in German service
Dogs were extensively employed on both sides in the Great War for Red Cross work, for sentry duty and scouting, and, as in the Belgian Army, for drawing machine-guns. Quite recently, too, there was an instance of their being used, by the Turks, for attacking purposes. In the short statement issued by the War Office on Sept.27, regarding operations in Gallipoli, it was said: "During the night of the 24th the Turks let loose watch-dogs against French patrols. The dogs were all shot." In the British trenches on the Western front some of the famous Airedale terriers trained by Major Richard-son are employed in sentry and scout duty The one shown in the photograph on this page, for example, is in a first-line trench in Flanders, and very good reports have been received of his work there. Major Richardson has sent out no fewer than 132 dogs for the British forces. Even more in keeping with the character of the dog as "the friend of man" is the valuable help he gives in succouring the wounded, a task which recalls the beneficent work of the dogs of the St. Bernard, and the numerous instances that can be called to mind of that almost instinctive canine faculty for rescuing people in peril or distress.
On two other pages in this issue we give some photographs of the dogs employed by the French Army for ambulance work in the field, and on this page and another we reproduce some German illustrations of dogs similarly trained that are used by the German Army. An article accompanying them in a German paper states: "There was founded bout twenty years ago an institution for the training of Red Cross dogs. The dogs chiefly in use were Airedales, 'Dobermann pinchers,' and, more especially, the German sheep-dogs. In 1913 the. Prussian Ministry of War took the matter up. We must add, however, that experience in previous wars showed that the dogs employed to bring bandages and brandy to the wounded were not altogether a success. But, strange to relate, hardly had the war broken out than we already had good, useful ambulance dogs.
The Prussian Minister of the Interior provided the police-dog station at Grijnheide with material and bandages, and in various towns in Germany there sprang up with wonderful rapidity establishments for training ambulance dogs and their leaders. Owners of valuable dogs oflered them to the State. To-day there are over 2000 dogs at the front, and many soldiers have been saved by them who would otherwise not have seen their homes again. Numerous instances have been given in which the usefulness of the ambulance dogs has been shown. They have rescued many wounded who, but for them, would have died unnoticed."
a page from 'the Sphere' and one of the same photos enlarged
German Red-Cross dogs on the Eastern Front
a German naval infantry machine-gun unit using captured Belgian dog-teams
German Red-Cross dogs looking for wounded
a German Red Cross team with their dogs
dogs assisting French soldiers in finding wounded on the battlefield
a British machine-gun team