![]() Read more about the Animals in War Memorial and see some photographs.Ĭlick thumbnails for enlargements (JavaScript should be enabled) Many of these wartime tales are short and without photos, as they date from decades ago now information is sparse and snippets have been gleaned from many sources.Ī memorial to all the animals that have been caught up and have suffered in human wars has been erected in England, in London's Park Lane. Sadly, since 1975 the British Royal Navy has banned cats, and indeed all animals, from its ships, with the merchant navy following two years later. They were especially important in wartime, when supplies could be short, and men were far from home for extended periods and welcomed feline companionship. There's one function that cats have fulfilled since time immemorial, though, and that is as ship's cats (see our second Cats in Wartime article), where they kept the vessel's stores free from rodents and also acted as mascots and companions to the crew. (See the introduction to our Post Office Cats section for more about this curious scheme.) During the nineteenth century it is said that the Belgians tried using cats to deliver letters, but with a marked lack of success. There were stories that the Americans tried to use cats during the Vietnam war, but they were too easily distracted and either started playing or disappeared into the jungle! However, these tales are apocryphal. On this page, below: Wartime Cats on LandĬats do not have a natural or important place in mankind's wars in the same way as dogs, horses and some other animals do, since (as cat owners will know!) it's very difficult to get a cat to do what you want. NOTE: We'd be delighted to hear from anyone who can add to our account of cats in wartime on land, sea or in the air from any part of the world. Purr-n-Fur UK | Cats in Wartime | On Land and in the AirĪrticles in Featuring Felines are written byĬertain features on these pages use JavaScript
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