First World War Mascots-Animals at War-Sj l2 June 2014

FIRST WORLD
WAR MASCOTS
ANIMALS AT WAR
by Philippa Werry
War is no place for an animal or is it?

You might be surprised to know that many animals took
part in the First World War. Horses were used by the cavalry.
They also pulled guns and supply wagons. Dogs were
trained to look for wounded soldiers in no-mans land.
Cats caught rats in the trenches, homing pigeons delivered
messages, and donkeys carried water and supplies.
Other animals went to war, too, but not to work. They
went as mascots.
8
WHAT IS A MASCOT?
A mascot is used to represent a group of people or a team.
Often its an animal or some kind of soft toy, such as a teddy
bear. Some people even think that mascots bring good luck
and help to achieve success.
WHY DID SOLDIERS HAVE MASCOTS?

Many New Zealand troops had mascots. Dogs were always
popular, but there were also birds, cats, donkeys, goats,
and monkeys. The soldiers kept mascots for many reasons.
A mascot was a symbol for the regiment. It was also a
friend and companion, like a pet. It added humour and fun
to everyday life. A mascot was good for morale because it
cheered up the soldiers.
Thousands of New Zealanders took part in the war. They
were a long way from home
and
me a
nd lliving
iving iin
n tterrible
errible cconditions.
onditions.
A mascot gave them
something positive to
think about. It was a
reminder of home and
normal life. Many New
Zealanders were killed
and injured in the war.
Some people probably
hoped that their mascot
would bring them good
luck and keep them safe.
Paddy, the Wellington Regiment
mascot, on parade in France in 1918
9
WHERE DID THE MASCOTS COME FROM?

Some soldiers had mascots while they were in New Zealand,
and some had mascots when they were overseas.
IN NEW ZEALAND
Many soldiers spent several months in training camps before
going overseas to join the fighting. The camp at Featherston was
home to a number of animals. They included a goat that followed
the men around and a terrier that liked to listen to the brass band.
In December 1915, a group of soldiers marched over the
Rimutaka hill from the Featherston camp. They were on their way
to the ships that would take them to Europe. The newspaper said
that the men were as merry as boys out for a picnic. They sang
all the way up the long, steep hill. The soldiers were led by their
mascot, a playful puppy that had been practising drill with them.
OVERSEAS
10
When soldiers were overseas, they often found or bought animals

that they kept as mascots. Some New Zealand and Australian
soldiers bought a small donkey as a mascot while they were on
leave in Cairo, Egypt. Then they had to get it back to their camp
outside the city. They tried to get on a tram, but the conductor did
not want to take the donkey. The soldiers didnt want to leave her,
so they paid the donkeys fare as well as their own.
The Auckland Mounted Rifles had a Great Dane called Rona as
a mascot. Some of the men met her at a train station in London.
Rona was waiting with her owner on the same platform. She
went over and made friends with the soldiers. The men liked her
so much, and Rona seemed so happy with them, that her owner
handed Rona over to them on the spot.
Above: Moses, an Egyptian donkey,

was the mascot of the New Zealand
Army Service Corps.
Left: A soldier in the Auckland
Mounted Rifles holds a pet desert fox.
Below: Jimmy, the mascot of the
Otago Mounted Rifles, has a drink.
1
11
PELORUS JACK, ABLE SEA DOG

It wasnt only soldiers in the army who had mascots. Sailors
in the navy had them, too. Pelorus Jack was a bulldog that
lived on the ship HMS New Zealand.
Zealand The dog was named
after a famous dolphin that used to swim beside boats in
the Marlborough Sounds.
In fact, there were two dogs called Pelorus Jack. The
first one joined the ship as a puppy in 1913, before the war.
He used to line up with the sailors every morning for the
captains inspection.
During the war, he would stand on deck when there was
fighting and bark at the exploding shells.
HMS New Zealand, where Pelorus Jack lived
When the first Pelorus Jack died in an accident

(he fell down a funnel), a second bulldog with the same
name took his place. The second dog joined HMS New
Zealand in 1916. He was on the ship during the Battle of
Jutland, which was the largest naval battle of the war.
Many ships were sunk, and nearly ten thousand men died.
But Pelorus Jack survived.
After the war, the captain of HMS New Zealand gave
Pelorus Jack to the City of Auckland. You can still see two
of his silver collars, one at the Auckland Museum and one
at the Navy Museum in Devonport.
The first Pelorus Jack
13
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MASCOTS?

Not all the mascots survived the war. Some died during the
fighting. A dog called Freda, the mascot of the New Zealand
Rifle Brigade, has her own gravestone at Cannock Chase
in England.
Many mascots were left behind when the soldiers had to
move on. Several animals were given to the Cairo zoo when
the troops left the city.
Most of the mascots were not allowed to return to
New Zealand after the war because of quarantine rules.
However, some were probably brought back secretly. There
are stories of soldiers hiding mascots under their clothing
or in their luggage. Soldiers and animals had been through
a lot together, and the soldiers couldnt bear to leave their
animal friends behind.
Corporal, the
mascot of the
Fighting Fifth
(Reinforcements)
GLOSSARY
cavalry: soldiers who fight on horses
drill: training and practice for battle
morale: how good a person or group of people is feeling
no-mans land: the area between the two armies facing
each other in battle
quarantine: when a person or animal is kept away from
others for a period of time to help stop the spread of
disease
regiment: a unit of soldiers in the army
tram: a passenger vehicle that is like a bus but runs on rails
troops: soldiers
Fredas grave, at Cannock Chase in England

14
15
FIRST WORLD
WAR MASCOTS
First World War Mascots

Animals at War
SCHOOL
JOURNAL
ANIMALS AT WAR
by Philippa Werry
JUNE 2014
by Philippa Werry
Text copyright Crown 2014

Photographs and images on page(s):
8 courtesy of National Army Museum/Te Mata Toa, New Zealand 1990-1711 H301
817 (old scrapbook background) copyright Lukiyanova Natalia/frenta/Shutterstock
817 (old photo frames) copyright Picsfive/shutterstock
9 courtesy of National Army Museum/Te Mata Toa, New Zealand 1990-1711 H708
11 (top) is used with the permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington reference:
1/2-013143-G
11 (bottom left) courtesy of the National Army Museum/Te Mata Toa, New Zealand 1996-946
11 (bottom right) from the Arnold Wells collection, courtesy of HarperCollins New Zealand
(published in Images of War: New Zealand and the First World War in Photo, by Glyn Harper: HarperCollins
New Zealand)
1213 courtesy of National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy
14 copyright Michael Marsh, Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
15 from the Matthew Pomeroy collection, courtesy of HarperCollins New Zealand
(published in Images of War: New Zealand and the First World War in Photo, by Glyn Harper: HarperCollins
New Zealand)
For copyright information about how you can use this material go to:
http://www.tki.org.nz/Copyright-in-Schools/Terms-of-use
Published 2014 by the Ministry of Education
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.
www.education.govt.nz
All rights reserved.
Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
ISBN 978 0 478 43921 2 (online)
Publishing services Lift Education E t
Series Editor: David Chadwick
Designer: Adam Pryor
Literacy Consultant: Melanie Winthrop
Consulting Editors: Emeli Sione and Hne Apanui
War is no place for an animal or is it?

You might be surprised to know that many animals took
part in the First World War. Horses were used by the cavalry.
They also pulled guns and supply wagons. Dogs were
trained to look for wounded soldiers in no-mans land.
Cats caught rats in the trenches, homing pigeons delivered
messages, and donkeys carried water and supplies.
Other animals went to war, too, but not to work. They
went as mascots.
8
SCHOOL JOURNAL LEVEL 2, JUNE 2014
Curriculum learning area
Social Sciences
Reading year level
Keywords
First World War, dogs, animals, mascots,

history, war, soldiers, army

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FIRST WORLD

War is no place for an animal or is it?

WHY DID SOLDIERS HAVE MASCOTS?

WHERE DID THE MASCOTS COME FROM?

When soldiers were overseas, they often found or bought animals

Above: Moses, an Egyptian donkey,

PELORUS JACK, ABLE SEA DOG

When the first Pelorus Jack died in an accident

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MASCOTS?

Fredas grave, at Cannock Chase in England

First World War Mascots

Text copyright Crown 2014

War is no place for an animal or is it?

SCHOOL JOURNAL LEVEL 2, JUNE 2014

Curriculum learning area

Reading year level

First World War, dogs, animals, mascots,

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