Animals in the Military

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In 2006 the Imperial War Museum in London developed an exhibit entitled "The Animal's War."  It provides an interesting and practical commentary on the intelligence and adaptability of animals.

In 1942, a brave pigeon named Winky, flying with wings clogged with engine oil, flew a 130 miles back to base to raise the alarm when an RAF fighter pilot was forced down in the North Sea.  Winky's heroic flight resulted in the rescue of the entire crew.

There are many examples of the ability of dogs to guide home lost soldiers, locate survivors under piles of rubble or to sniff out enemy weapons.  In May 2003, a Springer spaniel named Buster uncovered a hidden weapons dump that soldiers had failed to find in a house in southern Iraq.

The Saint Bernard, Bamse, served in the Second World War on a Norwegian warship.  He would take up a position on the gun tower during naval battles, and when the ship was in port he would go into town and round up the crew when the time had come to sail.  He once saved a Norwegian sailor's life by pushing the man's knife wielding attacker into the sea.

American troops are harnessing the sonar abilities of dolphins to identify under water explosives.  Even the Gambian giant pouch rat has been enlisted to scent out lethal antipersonnel land mines.

So next time you're thinking about your beloved pet, remember that creatures great and small have served humans with such distinction in times of war and conflict.