Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1919-12-02
Dogs In Army SERVICE
Intelligent CANNES Prove Their
Usefulness.
REDUCE LOSSES OF LIFE in BATTLE
Great Britain Began War by Scoffins
at Ability of Animal, and Wound Up
by Recognizing Him as Invaluable


ed an order was issued in the instruc-
tlons for divisional attack that all
British infantry battalions taking part
were to be provided with messenger
dogs. That is to say, at the very end
of the war the idea which Lieut.. Col.
E. II. Richardson of the royal engi-
neers-who initiated in this country
the training of dogs for military pur-
poses-had advocated with great per-
tinacity for many years finally re-
ceived official recognition, and the war
dog was admitted to be an essential
part of the perfect equipment of an
army. So slowly does even trium-
phant idea win it's way to acceptance
at headquarters when once it has been
turned down as impracticable.
Col. Richardson, whose own deeply
Interesting account of the training and
work of his war dogs recently has been
published, was known to newspaper
readers before the war as an enthus-
iastic believer in the capacity of dogs
for service with the police and in the
army. But the British war office would
have nothing to do with his projects.
| They brought forward host of objec-
tions, with the result that when war
came the solitary war dog in the Brit
ish army was one which went out with
the End Norfolks and was killed by d
shell on the Aisne.
Wolfe and Prince Won Britain.
The French employed dogs trained
to ambulance work, but the Red
Cross which they bore was no more
respected by the enerny than the Red
Cross on hospital ships, and they were
shot down at their humane work. Lat
er wonders were accomplished by the
use Of dogs in the Vosges, and effective
service was rendered by pack teams
on the Italian front. Only the Ger
mans however, apparently had regu-
lar organized service of dogs as mes
sengers at the beginning of the war,
but this, according to Colonel Richard
son, did not succeed as well as 1t
should have done, because the training
both Of dogs and keepers was of too
mechanical and highly detailed kind.
But though the British military au-
thorities gave him no encouragement
at the start, Colonel Richardson re-
ceived numerous requests from oftl-
GERS at the front for dogs trained to
sentry, patrol and messenger work
and he sent out Ia considerable num-
Der in 1915 to do their bit In the fight
ing line. We are told, indeed, that 1t
was the splendid work Of two Airedale
terriers, Wolf and Prince, reported on
in the most fav orable terms by the Of
ficers commanding the seth brigade,
R. F. A, which opened the eyes of the
authorities to the Incompatible value
of the service which trained dogs can
render and which led to Colonel Rich.
ardson being authorized to open reg
ular canine school at Shoeburyness
The dogs speedily made good" and
for the faithfulness and speed as
messengers and runners they deserve
the thanks and gratitude of the Brit
ish people.
Casualties among the human run
ners had been terribly heavy till these
intelligent dogs came, and to large
extent took their places. Trained
Airedale, Irish and Welsh terriers"
sheep dogs and collies would carry
their messages any distance up to -four
or five miles They took no notice OF
shell fire or barrages. Once released,
off they went, threading their way
through shell holes at a high speed
They would easily cover in 20 minutes
ground which a man could not cross in
less than ana hour and half, and, or
course, it was easy for them to pass
whe-e no man could keep his foothold
Serving as messengers back to its sup
ports from any infantry battalion
which had pushed forward in the at
tack, these dogs were invaluable. so
well disciplined We're they that they
wou d look neither to right nor left,
and they mastered the natural and
almost overwhelming temptation to a
dog to stay and investigate whatever
piuues his curiosity. Even if they fell
in with other dogs, the best of them
would still so forward and conquer
their inclination to gossip or quarrel
till duty was done. We are not at all
surprised TO be told that these rlarvels
of d .sciplinc were all done by kindness,
and great must have been tie patience
extended by those who trained the DOS
/ to their work.
Many dogs were killed, but rela-
lively the casualties were light, and
many stray which otherwise would
have ended its days ingloriously in a
lethal chamber showed itself capable
of acquiring discipline and did It's
work with the best.
The Dogs Great Role.
When one obviously failed in its
duty the explanation usually was that
soma dog loving British soldier had
beer unable 10 resist the temptation
of calling the dog off its work for
the pleasure Of petting it-a genial