War Animals

Animals have a long history of aiding people in war, whether it was horses carrying people into battle or pigeons who carried messages from headquarters to the front line. Man's best friend has provided more than just a cuddle buddy guarding soldiers, sniffing out hidden enemies, and detecting bombs.

The first story is about a cat. It is about a cat. Specifically, a cat that acted as a mouser on ships during the war. His name was Unsinkable Sam. Cats have always been apart of mouse hunting on ships. Obviously when ships were trekking across the oceans with a limited amount of food supply, they could not risk having rodents get into it eating the food or spoiling it. The downside of course is things do happen. Ships sink.

Back to Unsinkable Sam, also known as Oscar. This cat was (allegedly) on the ship Bismarck, which was a German battleship. On May 27th, 1941, the ship sank and out of the 2100 crew only 115 made it out. It was really bad in that area and a lot of the crew who survived the ship sinking died of exposure because it was a difficult to rescue them. The story goes this cat was found floating on a board in the middle of the ocean and picked up by the HMS Cossack, a British ship.

This is when he was given the name Oscar. He was on the ship until October 24 1941 when the ship was damaged by a torpedo and killed 159 crewmembers. Thankfully for the rest of the crew the ship was not destroyed and so they were put on the destroyer HMS Legion that tried to tow Cossack to shore in order to get it fixed. Oscar also was taken off the ship. It was because of this second brush with a sinking ship that he was nicknamed Unsinkable Sam.

Now Sam ended up on an Aircraft Carrier, the Ark Royal until it was also severely damaged from a torpedo on November 14, 1941. Only one crew member died. They tried and failed to tow the Ark Royal and the cat like some crew members was found again floating along in the ocean on a board. One called him “angry but unharmed.” He eventually spent the rest of his life on land in the Governor of Gibraltar’s offices.

Now a disclaimer, this story cannot be wholly proven. Some say it was not the same cat or used to bolster moral. There are different cats in the pictures of the rescue from the two different ships. Which, if it was just used as moral booster obviously it worked since the story is still around today. I wanted to include it in order to honor all the cats that have been apart of ships throughout history.

The next story is about a bear. The Polish Army, specifically the 22nd Polish Supply Brigade came across this orphaned cub while they were journeying from Russia back to Poland. He was at a railway station, apparently his mother had been killed by hunters.

So, they bought him. Which you know makes sense. I totally buy a random bear cub I came across while I was working. This bear was then named Wojtek (VOYTECK). He was young enough that they fed him from a bottle like a baby I guess he had issues swallowing as well, although remember this was the middle of a war and in the 1940’s so his milk was condensed milk, and his bottle was an empty vodka bottle since that was what they had. Not like they had a local PetSmart they could just run over to in order to pick up supplies. He quickly grew up with them.

He was a fast learner and quite a stinker. Often the group he was with would be in more desert areas which of course are hot and dry causing him to get over heated and thirsty. He would cause issues with water shortages by going into the showers and turning on the faucets to cool himself off. He remained friendly and they treated him well. He developed a taste for cigarettes and beer and often boxed and wrestled with his fellow soldiers.

He would help them carry large heavy ammunition crates. I mean he eventually grew to 500 or 600 pounds. A big boy. He was a Syrian brown bear which if you are interested in animal conservation are still in danger from hunting and habitat loss.

He was a part of their family. He was a moral booster for the troops. When in 1943 they were going into Italy they couldn’t take him on board because pets couldn’t get transportation during the war. So, they made him a soldier so he could join them. In case you’re interested he was a corporal. He had his own pay, rank, and serial number.

He eventually lived out his life in the Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland at the end of the war, living to the ripe old age of 21 dying in 1963.

There are a bunch of memorials and statues, including a Bronze statue in Edinburg dedicated to this special bear and he has a plaque in London’s Imperial War Museum.

Because of the usefulness of dogs in War, just like people were drafted, the army asked for people to donate their dogs for service. Now, obviously not all the dogs were accepted, sometimes when they didn’t perform well during training they were given back to families. This dog is named Chips and he was owned by Edward J Wren. Chips did well. He served for several years and was honorably discharged. So, don’t worry Jay, again this is an animal that survived his service in the War.

Chips was German Shepherd/collie/husky mix. Which all separately are great working dogs. Chips was most well known for his part in the 1943 invasion of Sicily. His handler, Private John Rowell and the other soldiers were pinned down from enemy fire. Chips broke away from them, which by the way was not his job and not something he was trained for since he was more of an alert to danger dog, ran across the beach and jumped into the gun nest where the enemy were firing from apparently biting the soldiers and grabbing the machine gun. As he drug one of the Germans out into the open the others soon gave up and followed, and this is according to what his handler states happened.

Of course, such actions there are usually repercussions and I guess he suffered some burns and scalp wounds but was overall fine and still fit for duty. He also was part of the guards that were stationed for Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt when they met for a conference. He also gained notoriety for biting Dwight D. Eisenhower’s hand in 1945 before he was president when the guy went to pet him to thank him for his service. Whoops. Just doing his job, but I guess before he went to the military, he had also bitten the garbage man so…yeah.

He was returned to his home although he died less than a year after returning, he at least got a good retirement. I’m sure the family loved on him and treated him like a king when he got back. There is a great picture I will post on our website and social media of him being returned to his family.

Chips ended up awarded with a Purple Heart, Silver Star and the Distinguished Service Cross for his service. But they were later taken back believing that those awards should be for people only. Years after his death in 2018 and 2019 he was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, and Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery. The son of the original owner 76-year-old John Wren accepted the awards on behalf of Chips. He was four when Chips was retired and brought back home and is quoted as saying, “I remember going to the station with my father and others and having friends and all kinds of people around. But I mostly remember when I saw him in the cage and realized that was my dog coming home. I was quite excited.” Even though the medals were not awarded until after his death he was acknowledged for his duty. So, animals did get their own medal for distinguished war service eventually.

The Dickin Medal was actually created to honor animals in World War II, since they didn’t have their own medal and now is continued to be awarded to animals doing various courageous acts which includes two guide dogs who were awarded it for leading their owners out of the Towers in 2001. It is said to be the equivalent of the Victoria Cross, the highest award you can receive in Britain for “Valor in the presence of the enemy”.