Tower and Town, December 2017

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Dogs Of War

All through history, dogs have been used to fight our battles and win our wars. They have been forced to do terrifyingly dangerous tasks, completely innocent of the consequences that await them.

In World War One, up to 20,000 dogs were trained to fight on the front line: sending messages through miles of knee-deep mud; pulling huge, heavy weapons; sniffing out bombs, and even being sent under tanks laden with bombs. One of the less glamorous jobs was catching rats: rats were a huge problem in the trenches so cats and dogs were called in to kill them.

In World War Two their main role was a sentry dog. These dogs were taught to express a soft growl or bark when they sensed the presence of a stranger. They were particularly useful when the troops were in darkness. A similar job was a scout dog. This required a quiet nature and exceptional intelligence; they alerted the troops to an ambush. Their way of communicating was a subtle prick of the ears and a stiffening of the body. This silent signal would avoid alerting the enemy.

Messenger dogs were used frequently during both world wars. The dogs were smaller and less suspicious targets to the enemy but the opposition would still shoot anything or anyone who could be carrying a message. To do this job effectively, it was crucial they were loyal; otherwise anything from the smell of someone's dinner to another dog on an errand could distract them from their mission.

Another dangerous task was that of the explosion detectors. It was their duty to sniff out enemy bombs. Many dogs could sniff out a bomb but the challenge was getting there in time before the bomb had already done its dreadful deed.

Casualty dogs were sent out into the battlefield to find the wounded; they were equipped with the supplies needed to save them but if it was too late for the soldier, ‘mercy’ dogs would loyally wait amid the chaos to keep them company in their final minutes.

Dogs helped the soldiers in one other way: comfort. Just having a dog in the trenches was a psychological relief from the horrors of war. It was a reminder of home and that there is some good in life, even though war can bring out the worst in everything and everyone.

One particular dog that served in World War Two was Chips - a German Shepherd, Collie and Husky mix donated to the army by Edward Wren.

After training as a military dog, Chips travelled the world serving his troop - the 3rd Infantry Division - in North Africa, Sicily, France, Germany and Italy. In 1943, in a battle in Sicily, Chips and his owner were trapped on a beach by machine gun fire. Chips broke free of his owner’s grip and charged towards the fire, then attacked the men firing and caused them to surrender. After the war, he returned to the Wren family as a hero.

Mina Angus and Hannah Keighley