Remembering those animals who served Canada, including Winnie
OTTAWA — While Remembrance Day is intended to remember those members of Canada’s armed forces who gave their lives in defending the country, it is also an important moment to reflect on the cost of war and the sacrifices of all those who have served in uniform.
Not all of those who served Canada — and in some cases laid down their lives — have been people, however. And while much attention in recent weeks has focused on Conan, the U.S. military dog who helped hunt down the leader of the Islamic State, Canada has its own legacy of animal heroes.
Tens of thousands of horses, dogs and other animals have served Canada and the Canadian military during times of war and peace. They have helped with everything from transporting equipment and supplies to carrying messages to saving troops under fire.
Their sacrifices are memorialized in a monument erected in 2012 near the National War Memorial in Ottawa, while a select few have also received the Dickin Medal, which was created by a British woman in 1943 to honour those who have shown particular bravery and devotion. Here is a short list of some of the most notable animals to have served or been associated with the Canadian military:
Gander — This Newfoundland dog was given to the Royal Rifles of Canada while they were stationed at Gander International Airport at the beginning of the Second World
War. He travelled with the regiment to Hong Kong shortly before Japan attacked the British colony in December 1941. Gander attacked and chased off Japanese troops on at least two occasions.
Beachcomber — A carrier pigeon who travelled with Canadian forces during the ill-fated raid on the French port of Dieppe in August 1942. Shortly after the battle started, Canadian soldiers released Beachcomber to relay the first news of their successful landing at Dieppe back to England.
Bonfire — Many Canadians know of Lt.-Col. John McCrae, who captured the horrors and loss of war in his poem “In Flanders Fields” during the First World War. Few may know he took his horse Bonfire when he went to Europe with the Canadian military. McCrae would often write letters home to his nephews and nieces under Bonfire’s name and signed by a hoofprint.
Hughes — Canadian military engineers purchased this pintsized donkey from a group of Afghan National Army soldiers to help carry heavy equipment and supplies during Canada’s war in Afghanistan. But Hughes quickly became more than just a pack animal thanks to his role in helping Canadian military engineers unwind in Kandahar.
Winnie the Pooh — No list of famous animals associated with the Canadian military would be complete without a nod to everybody’s favourite bear. Purchased by Canadian veterinarian and soldier Harry Colebourn and named after his adopted hometown of Winnipeg, this black bear would cross the Atlantic to England with Canadian soldiers during the First World War.