In a series of colorized snaps, we showcased the courage and sacrifice of pets during World War II.
Tom Marshall, who lives close to the Defence Animal Training Regiment base near Melton Mowbray, has transformed the black-and-white images for PhotograFix.
He decided to recolour the pictures to honour the memories of the animals who gave their lives in human wars, and urged people to wear a purple poppy commemorating animal sacrifices alongside their red ones this Remembrance Sunday.
He has brought to life many images, including one that shows Jasper as a mine-detecting canine, being treated by a sergeant in the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Bayeaux (France) on July 24, 1944.
Another of the pictures is of Simon, ship’s cat for the Royal Navy’s HMS Amethyst, who is the only cat to have been awarded the Dickin Medal as of 2021.
The brave pets who mucked in to help during war have been showcased in a series of colourised snaps (pictured, Jasper, a mine-detecting dog, having his ear bandaged by a sergeant of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in Bayeaux, France)
Another image, taken in 1917, shows an unnamed soldier of the British Royal Artillery sitting down for portraits while wearing his uniform and his small white kitten.
Two kittens were born aboard HMS Hawkins (a Royal Navy heavy cruiser that was built during World War I but not finished until 1919). Pictured are the kittens inside a barrel from a 7.75 inch gun
Photo of Venus the Bulldog, mascot and destroyer HMS Vansittart. Photographed in 1941
Simon was skilled at killing and catching rats on lower decks. Simon quickly gained notoriety for his cheekiness. He left presents with dead rats on sailors’ beds and slept in captain’s caps.
In 1949, during the Yangtze Incident, he received the PDSA’s Dickin Medal after surviving injuries from a cannon shell which tore through the captain’s cabin seriously wounding Simon and killing the captain.
He was badly injured and crawled on deck. The ship’s medical personnel treated his injuries and took out four pieces of shrapnel. The cat was not expected that he would last the night.
He survived, but he was able to recover and returned to his old job of catching rats.
Another of the pictures is Aircrew was a young cat adopted by the Royal Australian Air Force Flying Training School, Cressy, Victoria, Australia (left) and Simon, ship’s cat for the Royal Navy’s HMS Amethyst, who is the only cat to have been awarded the Dickin Medal as of 2021 (right)
Rip was an award-winning mixed breed terrier, who received the Dickin Medal for bravery and courage in 1945. A Mr. E King Air Raid Warden found him as a stray near Poplar in London in 1940 and he became the Air Raid Service’s first search-and rescue dog.
Pictured right: Horse and Captain of the Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps, c.1916. Pictured left: HMS Stork’s Mascot, aboard ship Liverpool, 18 May 1941
Tom also captured Aircrew in these images, another feline Tom brought to life. He adopted Aircrew from the Royal Australian Air Force Flying Training School Cressy (Victoria, Australia).
A second 1917 image shows an unnamed British Royal Artillery Soldier posing for a portrait in his uniform with his white kitten.
Like Simon, mixed breed terrier Rip was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in 1945.
In 1940, he was found by Mr. E King as an Air Raid Warden in Poplar. He became the first rescue and search dog for the Air Raid Service. His heroic actions saved the lives of more than 100 people.
The picture postcard below was sent from William Field (1890-1917), to Harry by postmarked December 1909 from Aldershot barracks, Hampshire. William stands third on the left, his bridles still in his hands. Harry’s mother Margaret still owns the original postcard. William served in the 7th Queens Own Hussars from West Cavalry Barracks. Wellington Lines. But he was wounded while fighting for the Kings Own Hussar’s. He laid to rest at Monchy British Cemetery, Monchy-Le-Preux, Pas de Calais, France
The First World War saw horses pull makeshift sleds across the mud. Due to their versatility and dependability, horses played an important role in transport during World War I.
Rip wasn’t trained to do search and rescue, but he did it naturally. His success is partly responsible for the decision by authorities to train rescue dogs in search and rescue at the end of World War II.
Another image shows Venus the bulldog, mascot of the destroyer HMS Vansittart, leaning out of the ship in 1941 while another brings to life HMS Stork’s mascot who was on board ship in Liverpool in May 1941.
It wasn’t just cats and dogs that helped in the war effort. These photographs show horses pulled by makeshift sleds in the First World War mud.
The horse and the soldier are transporting their boots down a narrow path that is covered in wet mud. This horse has been completely loaded with rubber trench waders
This converted B-type bus was used as a pigeon loft, allowing messages to be sent back from Headquarters to the frontline. Over 100,000 carriers pigeons were employed as messengers during WW1. Records indicate that they correctly delivered 95% of their messages.
Although the paths were only inches in depth, they were covered with wet mud. Horses, because of their ability to traverse most terrains and reliability, were vital to transporting troops during World War I.
A second photograph is of a Royal Canadian Army Veterinary Corps Colonel atop a horse, taken in 1916.
Birds also participated in war activities during that period.
The conversion of a bus B-type into a loft for pigeons allows messages to be sent back from headquarters to the front line.
In WW1, over 100,000 carriers pigeons served as messengers. Records show that 95% of the messages were delivered correctly.
A British soldier, an unknown Tommy (pictured), from the ‘A’ Squadron and the North Irish Horse Regiment.