Remembering Dolly, Beauty, Bess and Digger
The War Horses that returned
Alot of readers may be unaware of Purple Poppy day and what it represents. This year I wrote about it as I felt it was important to remember all the animals that had served in wars. In fact we still have animals that are serving to this day.
Being from a family that has had a lifelong affiliation with horses,I felt a strong sense of sadness in knowing that out of the 10,000 horses that left for World War 1, to carry troops and supplies into battle, only four returned to New Zealand.
All four horses that made it home belonged to officers. Beauty to the late Captain Richard Riddiford, Bess to Captain Charles Powles, Dolly to Major General Sir Andrew Russell, and Digger to the late Lieutenant Colonel George King, who was killed at Passchendaele.
The initiative to bring home the four horses came from Major General Sir Andrew Russell.
Beauty, Bess, and Dolly, had left the country with the main body of the NZEF in 1914.
Digger had left in 1915 or 1916. The horses arrived off the passenger freighter, the SS Westmeath. The trip had been traumatic. Fire had broken out in the hold when the ship was six days out from Panama, destroying all the horses’ feed and many of the soldiers’ possessions.
The soldiers fed their bread
rations to the animals to keep them alive until they reached New Zealand.
Bess and Beauty headed off to Bulls and Feilding, while Dolly and Digger were transported to Tuna Nui in the Hawke’s Bay.
Dolly the war horse who came home with highly decorated Major General Sir Andrew Russell, known as “The General”, of Tuna Nui Station, was able to live out the rest of her years enjoying the beautiful pastures of Sherenden in Hawke’s Bay , until she died in 1932.
While Anzac soldiers are remembered and celebrated on Anzac Day and Armistice Day, their horses have had no recognition other than one statue, Te Utu, in Hamilton.
So, a Dolly the War Horse Trust has been set up in Hawke’s Bay to fundraise for a life-size remembrance statue in bronze, of Dolly, to eventually be exhibited next to Major General Sir Andrew Russell.
For anyone passing through Hastings, a life- size bronze statue of The General stands in the Hastings Civic Square near the cenotaph. The statue depicts him in uniform,holding a swagger stick.
Andrew Russell left New Zealand in 1914 as commander of the Mounted Rifles Brigade. After being made a Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG.), he was promoted to Major General and led the New Zealand and Australian Division during its last weeks on the Gallipoli Peninsula. Russell commanded the New Zealand Division in France and Belgium from May 1916 until the end of the war.
If you are wishing to see further information about Dolly, the War House Trust check out www.dollythewarhorse.co.nz