The First World War is remembered as a period of great national solidarity and mobilisation, as the men signed up to fight and the women went to work.
Now, new research has revealed the extent to which Britain’s dogs were also called upon to play their own part in the struggle against Germany.
The study shows how thousands of pets were donated by their families, or recruited from dog pounds, and police forces to serve alongside soldiers on the Western Front.
It also discloses the many roles the animals were required to perform on the front line, from carrying aid to men lying wounded in no-mans land to accompanying patrols, as well as pulling equipment, guard duty and conveying messages.
Dogs were employed in numerous roles, including pulling equipment (ALAMY)
The research, by the history website Find My Past, involved an analysis of its own newspaper archives from the period to find articles relating to the issue.
In total, the British and their allies were said to have used up to 20,000 dogs on the Western Front, many in roles which were extremely hazardous.
One of the most dangerous was when all other methods of communication had been cut during enemy bombardments, and dogs were required to convey messages between positions.
Sentinel duty involved the animal being posted near the top of the trench, next to its master’s gun barrel, to let the soldier know quietly if anyone attempted to approach the surrounding barbed wire, without tipping off the enemy that his approach had been discovered.
A report, from the Dundee Evening Telegraph from 1916, describes the temperament required from such an animal. “A watchdog never barks; at the most he will use a low growl to indicate the presence or approach of a hostile force. More often than not the mere pricking of the ears or the attitude of expectancy is sufficient to put his master on his guard.”
In scouting roles, they accompanied soldiers on patrol, and, again, were able to draw attention to the enemy by body language, rather than by barking.
Various breeds were used, depending on the role. The Red Cross used bloodhounds and Airedale terriers, which were equipped with medical kits and trained to seek out men lying wounded in no-man’s land. The tactics had first been developed by the Germans.
The roles played by the dogs grew, as the conflict dragged on, and in the early months of 1917, the War Office formed the War Dog School of Instruction, to establish more formal recruitment and training of the animals.
Stunter, the clever mascot of the Tank Corps who, owing to his experience gained by riding about in tanks, learnt balance himself on the bars of a motorcycle (ALAMY)
The following year, Lieutenant Colonel Richardson, who ran the school, paid tribute to the animals he had trained. In the Aberdeen Evening Express, he states: “The skill, courage and tenacity of these dogs has been amazing. During heavy barrages, when all other communications have been cut, the messenger dogs have made their way, and in many cases have brought messages of vital importance.”
Others had more straightforward uses – as ratters in the trenches, or as mascots. In the German lines, it is said that Adolf Hitler kept a mascot dog during the war.
Many of the animals were killed, such as Marquis, who had served as a dispatch dog with the French army. According the Dundee Courier, in November 1916, “his soldier comrades buried him and raised a monument over his grave. He had been sent out with a message at a time when owing to the intensity of German fire, it was unsafe to send a human messenger. Marquis received a bullet wound and fell, but managed to crawl back with the message undelivered, letting it drop out of his mouth, stained with blood at his masters feet”.
The same article also described how five French dogs, Pell, Podge, North, Bac and Ruff, were credited with helping to drive the Germans out of Boesinghe Woods, near Ypres, after they returned from a reconnaissance mission carrying various German headgear, allowing their handlers to assess the enemy strength.
Debra Chatfield, a family historian at findmypast.co.uk said: “It’s amazing, and heart wrenching to think of thousands of families saying goodbye to their pet dogs so that they could serve their country at the front line. A great number of stray dogs were also given to the army from places like Battersea Dogs’ Home and police forces around the country.
“Throughout human history, the bond between man and dogs has been unbreakable, and the role these animals played during the war was of paramount importance, as can be seen in the numerous old newspaper reports.”