Animals That Went To The War With Humans
Tirpitz Tirpitz was the mascot of HMS Glasgow during the First World War. The pig had originally been kept on board the German cruiser SMS Dresden until she sank in March 1915. Tirpitz was abandoned with the ship, but managed to escape and swim away from the sinking vessel. She was spotted by the crew of the nearby HMS Glasgow and one of the sailors jumped in to rescue the frightened animal, nearly drowning in the process.
Jack Edith Cavell was an English nurse who helped over 200 Allied soldiers escape German-occupied Belgium during the First World War. Cavell would sometimes take Jack (pictured here on the right) on walks, providing cover for the escaping soldiers as they travelled to meet their guides. She was caught, tried and convicted of treason, and was executed by firing squad on 12 October 1915.
Warrior Warrior was the horse of Captain Jack Seely during the First World War. Seely and Warrior served throughout the entire war, travelling to France with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in 1914 and returning home in the winter of 1918.
Gustav Gustav was one of the RAF's messenger pigeons during the Second World War and one of six birds given to Reuters news correspondent Montagu Taylor ahead of D-Day. On 6 June 1944 Gustav carried back the first news from the D-Day landings in Normandy.
Rip Rip was a stray dog adopted by the Poplar ARP (Air Raid Precautions) in east London during the Second World War. During the Blitz, he helped locate people and animals buried in the debris after an air raid. In this photograph, taken on 5 August 1941, Rip searches the rubble for survivors after an air raid in Poplar, east London.
Jet Jet was an Alsatian trained as a search and rescue dog during the Second World War. He and his handler, Corporal Wardle, were responsible for recovering 150 people from buildings destroyed in German air raids. On one occasion, Jet located a woman buried in the debris of a bombed-out hotel in London, and refused to move for 12 hours while rescuers tried to reach her. Jet was awarded the Dickin Medal in January 1945.
Wojtek Wojtek the 'Soldier Bear' was the pet mascot of the 22nd Transport Artillery Supply Company, Polish II Corps during the Second World War. The Syrian brown bear was adopted as a cub by Polish troops as they passed through Iran on their way to a posting in the Middle East. Wojtek, meaning 'little one', weighed around 18 stone (250lb/113kg) and grew to over six feet tall. But he was extremely tame and comfortable in human company, often wrestling or play-fighting with the men.
Judy Judy was a purebred English pointer who had been adopted as a mascot by the Royal Navy. When her ship, HMS Grasshopper, was torpedoed during the Second World War, Judy and the crew were captured by the Japanese and held as prisoners of war (POWs). Judy was adopted by Leading Aircraftsman Frank Williams, who shared his meagre rations with her throughout their imprisonment.