Animals of war
Furred, feathered and four-legged veterans honoured
ALevin man unveiled a plaque at the Airforce Museum in Wigram recently paying homage to animals that had served in armed conflict.
Roger Parton, 74, was invited to unveil the plaque as he was one of the first four RNZAF Police dog handlers in the New Zealand Defence Force in 1967. He retired from the RNZAF as Deputy Provost Marshall in 1984.
“It was an honour,” he said. The unveiling was part of Purple Poppy Day on February 24, commemorating animals that had served with armed forces throughout the world over many years.
The Australian War Animals Memorial Organisation was formed many years ago by a former RNZAF police dog handler Nigel Allsopp, and is now internationally recognised for the work it does in the remembrance of all animals who have served, as well as assisting with finding homes for animals that are no longer able to serve.
This work is done in conjunction with the Women’s Section of RNZRSA.
Purple Poppy Day was recognised internationally, acknowledging service animals, particularly those that gave their lives in conflict. An estimated 16 million animals served during WW1 and more than eight million died.
There were 20,000 dogs serving Britain and her allies, 500,000 cats served in the trenches of the western front to combat a serious problem with rats. The cats also detected gas.
More than 100,000 pigeons served Britain in WW1 and 200,000 in WW2.
Between 1914-1916 the NZ government acquired more than 10,000 horses to serve in German Samoa, at Gallipoli, the Middle East and on the Western Front. Of these, 4000 were used for artillery & transport purposes. Only four horses were repatriated from France to England in March 1919 and subjected to 12 months quarantine, they arrived back home in NZ in July 1920.
They were Beauty, Dolly, Nigger and Bess. Bess continued to help Captain Powles perform his duties as commander at the GHQ school at Trentham and then headmaster at Flock House in Bulls, an agricultural training school for the dependants of war veterans. Bess died near Flock House in 1934 and a memorial was erected where she has been buried.
The Purple poppy was created in 2006 by a UK charity “Animal Aid” to commemorate animals that served during conflicts as they had been the forgotten victims’ of war.
NZ-born Nigel Allsopp who lives in Australia, is the President of the “Australian War Animals” and the Ambassador representing Australia and NZ for service animals plus is the ANZAC representative for the UK Blue Cross Awards.
In February 2018 he was asked to establish the NZ War animal memorial at the Army National Museum in Waiouru. Australia raised funds and bought a bronze statue. The unveiling was on the February 24.
In June 2018 a memorial was unveiled at Massey University as a tribute to the men and women that cared for the animals from WW1.
The RNZRSA National Women’s president at the time, Diane Wilson said “it came to our attention in February 2018, when told about the unveiling in Waiouru, that Australia along with many other countries were acknowledging their service animals, something NZ had not been doing”.
The Waikato and BOP women’s sections decided to hold the first “Purple Poppy Day” on February 24, 2019, to recognise New Zealand’s war and service animals.
In 2019 the RNZRSA National Women’s Assn were given the responsibility by RNZRSA of looking after and running all matters relating to our “NZ service animals”. That same year the RNZRSA National Women’s established the first Welfare Fund for the “NZ Service Animals and Memorials”, the aim of this fund is to provide financial support to service and ex service animals in need.
“We do not at this stage see the 24th February purple Poppy Day as a street appeal. We see this as an ongoing project for our RSA Women’s Sections to embrace, along with their communities, and to raise funds and awareness as well as honouring our four-legged veteran’s.”
Since 2010 the Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation have established 35 war animal memorials within Australia and internationally.
On December 19, 2020, Bess, a horse from WW1 was honoured with the “Blue Cross” from the UK. This is the highest award given to a service animals - the equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
In June 2019 Caesar, a NZ WWI dog was awarded the first Blue Cross for NZ, which is on display at the National Army Museum in Waiouru. The 2021 recipient was a dog named “Gunner” from Afghanistan. His Blue Cross is also on display at the museum.