Remembering animals in war: brave or just victims?
It’s not just human victims of war that are being remembered today. This morning, dogs, horses and even a mule attended a special remembrance service at the Animals in War monument on London’s Park Lane. They, alongside several animal welfare and advocacy organisations, were there to acknowledge the remarkable contribution made by millions of animals in twentieth century military conflicts.
The Animals in War monument was unveiled by HRH the Princess Royal in November 2004, after the £2 million needed to build the monument had been raised through a national appeal and the consequent generosity of many individual donors, charities and companies.
The list of animals that have served in war time is impressive:
+ Eight million horses and countless mules and donkeys died in the First World War. Many mules also served courageously on the Western Front and in the oppressive heat of Burma, Eritrea and Tunisia during World War II.
+ Hundreds of dogs have been used in conflicts to run messages, lay telegraph wires, detect mines, dig out bomb victims and act as guard or patrol dogs.
+ More than 300,000 pigeons served Britain during the two World Wars, saving thousands of lives by carrying vital messages when other communication was impossible.
+ Many other animals served in war throughout the years, including elephants, camels, oxen, bullocks, cats, canaries and even glow worms.
These animals were all remembered today, and it’s right that they were. But should they be remembered for bravery? An animal can hardly be said to be “brave”, when it does not understand the risks that are being taken nor the reason for doing so?
Is it just their victimhood that we’re commemorating?
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