Unsung Heroes: The Forgotten Story of Trench Animals

Tens of millions of animals played essential and tragic roles in the battles of the First World War, actively participating in operations or sharing the fate of the combatants. Their massive involvement underscores their logistical and strategic importance to the armies of the time.

Approximately 11 million horses, donkeys, and mules were mobilized, primarily for transporting soldiers and hauling heavy equipment.

Their role was vital: for example, six horses were needed to move a single cannon, making these animals prime targets.

Animals were also crucial for transmitting information.

France used 60,000 pigeons to carry messages or perform reconnaissance missions by taking aerial photographs.

Some became famous: Vaillant, a pigeon decorated with the Croix de Guerre and awarded the Legion of Honor, helped save an entire regiment during the Battle of Verdun in 1916 thanks to the message he carried.

100,000 war dogs lived alongside the soldiers, often trained to find the wounded on the devastated battlefields.

Other animals, including cats, goats, and pigs, were kept in the trenches or on ships as pets and regimental mascots.

A Heavy Price Paid

Animals were often the first victims of enemy fire, their strategic importance making them obvious targets.

To try to ensure their survival against chemical attacks, gas masks adapted to their anatomy were used.

Nevertheless, these protective measures remained ineffective against shells, bullets, and disease.

Tens of millions of animals died at the hands of humans.

Veterinarians worked at the front to treat the wounded.

Specialized hospitals, such as the donkey hospital in Neuville-lès-Vaucouleurs near Verdun, were dedicated to their recovery.

However, most of the rescued animals were sent back to the battlefields, meaning that almost all the animals involved in the Great War were killed « in combat. »