Why did soldiers keep dogs in the trenches?
A dog is seen here alongside soldiers in a trench in 1914. This is a casualty dog – they were trained to find wounded or dying soldiers on the battlefield. They carried medical equipment so an injured soldier could treat himself and they would also stay beside a dying soldier to keep him company.
Were soldiers allowed to keep diaries?
Soldiers were officially forbidden from keeping diaries for similar security purposes, but many did so anyway. Writing likely helped these soldiers remember things and try to make sense of what they were experiencing. For those of us who get to read those diaries now, it also helps us learn so much more.
What did dogs do in ww1 trenches?
Man’s Best Friend During the War. Dogs played an important military role for most European armies during World War I, serving in a variety of tasks. Dogs hauled machine gun and supply carts. They also served as messengers, often delivering their missives under a hail of fire.
What did dogs do in wars?
Early in the war, dogs were trained to deliver messages in combat. Images from the time show them leaping over coils of barbed-wire fences and carrying messages tied to their collars. They also sometimes carried small packages of food, cigarettes, explosives, or other supplies to soldiers in the trenches.
What were dogs used for in war?
During war time, dogs have been used as messenger dogs, patrol dogs, guard dogs, mine dogs, Red Cross dogs or as draught dogs for the transportation of weapons, ammunition, food and medical supplies.
Why did soldiers write diaries?
Like civilians, members of the military kept diaries to fight off boredom and to record the day’s events. They wrote to capture the sights and sounds of what the writer was experiencing far away from home and to cope with loneliness and fear.
Why did soldiers keep diaries in ww1?
The purpose of the War Diary was to create a record of the operations of the unit on active service. It would record the part it was playing in a battle and would usually list the number of men who went into action and the number of casualties when the unit came out of the action.
What did mercy dogs?
They carried first-aid supplies that could then be used by wounded soldiers, and comforted dying soldiers who were mortally wounded. They were also trained to guide combat medics to soldiers who required extensive care.
How many dogs died in WWII?
A new book, ‘The British Cat and Dog Massacre: The Real Story of World War Two’s Unknown Tragedy’ tells the heartbreaking, but little-known, story of the 750,000 dogs and cats euthanised upon the outbreak of WW2.
Where can I find diaries from World War 1?
Diaries from British soldiers describing life on the frontline during World War One are being published online by the National Archives. Events from the outbreak of war in 1914 to the departure of troops from Flanders and France were recorded in official diaries of each military unit.
What was the Diary of a First World War officer like?
The diary includes first-hand details of the conflict, the loss of friends and the tragedy of war, but with a surprising level of humour. A diary of a First World War officer who served in the trenches is going to auction.
How many dogs were on the Western Front during World War 1?
Though it is difficult to fully account for their numbers, according to one French source “more than two thousand dogs” were in service on the Western Front at one time during the war, and the Imperial War Museums believes over 16 million total animals were in service during the course World War I.
Who was Charles Alfred Hunt in the diaries?
James unearthed the story of one of her own relatives in the World War I diaries, a man named Charles Alfred Hunt. She says that experience changed her perception of the war. “You think, those were real men.