The Animals’ War: Photo library

The Centenary of the First World War is an ideal opportunity to look at the role of animals during that time. These photos are of animals used in the war.

Here are a sample of the images available in the photo library below.

Please download the relevant library file to see more.

Sergeant of the Royal Engineers Signals Section putting a message into the cylinder attached to the collar of a messenger dog at Etaples, 28 August 1918. (© IWM Q 9276)

German Veterinary Service. Treatment of wounded messenger dogs at a Dog Hospital. (© IWM Q 55272)

Field ambulance pulled by horses. (Source: Simon Butler)

Horse drawn wagon stuck in mud. (Source: Australian War Memorial)

Cats were common, particularly on a ship or at a camp, where they could establish their territory and keep the population of rats and mice down. 'Pincher', the mascot of HMS VINDEX is shown sitting on the propeller of a Sopwith Camel carried by the ship. (© IWM Q 73724)

A carrier pigeon being released from a port-hole in the side of a tank near Albert, 9 August 1918. It's a Mark V tank of the 10th Battalion, Tank Corps attached to the III Corps during the Battle of Amiens. (© IWM Q 9247)

Cher Ami after recovering from battle minus a leg by US Army. Cher Ami (‘dear friend’) was a famous homing pigeon donated to the US Army Corps by British pigeon fanciers to deliver messages during the war. He delivered 11 messages for the US Army.

Sergeant of the Royal Engineers Signals Section putting a message into the cylinder attached to the collar of a messenger dog at Etaples, 28 August 1918. (© IWM Q 9276)

German Veterinary Service. Treatment of wounded messenger dogs at a Dog Hospital. (© IWM Q 55272)

Field ambulance pulled by horses. (Source: Simon Butler)

Horse drawn wagon stuck in mud. (Source: Australian War Memorial)

Cats were common, particularly on a ship or at a camp, where they could establish their territory and keep the population of rats and mice down. 'Pincher', the mascot of HMS VINDEX is shown sitting on the propeller of a Sopwith Camel carried by the ship. (© IWM Q 73724)

A carrier pigeon being released from a port-hole in the side of a tank near Albert, 9 August 1918. It's a Mark V tank of the 10th Battalion, Tank Corps attached to the III Corps during the Battle of Amiens. (© IWM Q 9247)

Cher Ami after recovering from battle minus a leg by US Army. Cher Ami (‘dear friend’) was a famous homing pigeon donated to the US Army Corps by British pigeon fanciers to deliver messages during the war. He delivered 11 messages for the US Army.

Download photo resources

Document containing all photo descriptions

Pictures of camels

Pictures of canaries and mines

Pictures of horses

Photos of pigeons