From armies of ants to troops of baboons, groups of animals will fight each other for resources and territory, though humans are the only species on the planet to engage in organised ‘warfare’, in the true sense of the word.
What animals have been used in war?
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But that doesn’t stop us from dragging other creatures into the fray. History is full of accounts about animals being used in various capacities during armed conflicts. Sometimes they have been deployed as living weapons, but more often they were used as messengers, scouts, decoys, shields, rescuers or simply for company during times of immense stress and fear.
Manny animals – including dogs, cats, bears and pigeons – have been given an official rank within the army, air force or navy, or have won medals for demonstrating bravery and devotion during battle or during the course of a conflict.
Several countries even have dedicated medals for animals: Britain has the PDSA Dickin Medal, frequently enough called the animals’ VC (Victoria Cross), which was first awarded in 1943 (to a pigeon called White Vision, who flew 9 hours though a terrible storm to deliver a message that led to the rescue of a downed aircrew). And in 2019, the USA instituted the animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery. Following is a roll call of a few examples of exceptional animals at war.
Bears
When a contingent of Polish soldiers were travelling through Iran on their way to a posting in the Middle East, they adopted an orphaned Syrian brown bear whose mother had been shot by hunters. The bear, named Wojtek, became the regiment mascot of the 22nd Transport Artillery Supply Company, Polish II Corps during World War II.
Despite growing to 6ft and reaching a weight of about 18 stone (113kg), Wojtek remained playful and pleasant, and was beloved by the unit’s soldiers, with whom he allegedly drank beer and shared cigarettes.
When the company was posted to Italy in 1943, Wojtek had to be officially enlisted in order to accompany them, and he was given a service number, a paybook and assigned the rank of private.During fierce fighting during the Battle of Monte Cassino, Wojtek assisted his comrades by carrying heavy shells and boxes of ammunition, a scene later incorporated into the company’s insignia, and he was afterward promoted to the rank of Corporal.
After the armistice the unit travelled to Scotland, and Wojtek ended up spending the rest of his days in Edinburgh Zoo, where he passed away in 1963.
Dogs
The Carthaginian general Hannibal famously used elephants in his battles with the Romans, even taking several through the Pyrenees, across the Alps and along the valley of the Rhône to mount a surprise attack on his enemies (although it’s questionable whether any of the elephants taken on that journey actually survived the trip).
War elephants were certainly used – a bit like tanks – during conflicts in antiquity, across large parts of Asia, including China and India and around the Mediterranean. As warfare and weapons developed, however, their use in battle situations declined, and in more modern times, elephants have been employed more like all-terrain tractors, to move heavy objects around (including towing airplanes into position).
Notably, during World War II, local authorities in Hamburg, Germany, used two circus elephants – Kiri and Many – to clear the wreckage left after Allied bombing raids.
Camels
Blessed with huge amounts of endurance and strength, and able to travel large distances through very arid and challenging terrain, camels have been used during conflict for centuries, and during World War I, the ‘ships of the desert’ were employed by both sides.
Interestingly, camels played a key role in one of the most diverse and unusual military units ever assembled. First formed in 1916, the imperial Camel Corps was a camel-mounted infantry force that eventually comprised four battalions, with camel-mounted troops from Australia, New Zealand, Britain, India, Hong Kong and Singapore.
A fast,cheap and incredibly effective way to send messages back from the frontline during conflicts,pigeons were used extensively by all sides in the major conflicts of the first half of the 20th century.
Operating in the deserts of the Middle East and Africa, they played a notable part in several campaigns during the conflict, including in Palestine and Sinai.
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