Jackie goes to war

Monkeys are intelligent and curious animals, so humans have used their skills and intelligence in various situations.

However, there is one story, the story of Jackie the Baboon, which is more than just a saga about a skilled animal.

It is one true war story, and at the end - the story of a war hero.

Jackie the Baboon

Baboons are quick learners - they can mimic what they see. Also, they are devoted to humans.

Such was the case with Jackie.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Albert Marr found Jackie wandering on his farm near Pretoria in South Africa. The young baboon looked lost. The man assumed that hunters had killed his parents, so he decided to take him home.

In the following years, Jackie and Albert became inseparable.

Life was peaceful and ordinary until 1914 and the outbreak of World War I.

War

After the South African army joined the Allies, Albert's mobilization into the 3rd Infantry Regiment was inevitable.

Not wanting to leave his friend behind, he asked if Jackie could go to war with him.

To everyone's surprise, the superiors said yes.

Jackie goes to war

After arriving in the unit, Jackie was almost like all the other soldiers. He received a uniform, cap, paybook, and utensils.

He even behaved like the other soldiers. When he saw a superior officer passing by, he would salute.

He would light cigarettes for his colleagues, and with Albert, he performed guard duties, a task in which he excelled due to his heightened sense of smell and hearing.

Due to his dedication to the army, he became the official mascot of the 3rd South African Infantry Regiment and was taken everywhere with the soldiers.

Although today it might seem incomprehensible or even cruel, many regiments during that period had animals as mascots.

Jackie never left Albert's side.

In 1916, during battles in Egypt, he saved Albert's life. When Albert was wounded, Jackie stayed with him and licked his wound until medics arrived. After the man recovered, he and the baboon returned to the fight.

The day Jackie earned his corporal

Thanks to his keen hearing and sight, the monkey could warn soldiers of enemy movements and was very successful at his task.

Jackie earned an injury in a trench in France. During a firefight, imitating the actions of the soldiers around him, the monkey was seen building a wall out of stones to protect himself. At that moment, a piece of shrapnel hit him in the right leg.

The regiment's medics took him to a field hospital and tried to save his leg, but unfortunately, it had to be amputated. Due to the unknown effects of chloroform on baboons, the doctors were unsure if the monkey would wake up. However, within a few days, Jackie was on his remaining leg and fully recovered.

For his merits, Jackie was awarded a medal for bravery and promoted from private to corporal.

Jackie returns home

Finally, towards the end of the war, Jackie was discharged. He returned home with a discharge paper, decorations, and a military pension. Upon returning to Pretoria, he led the victory military parade and was declared an honorary citizen.

For some time, he and Albert raised funds for the Red Cross. In exchange for a small tip, citizens could shake hands with the monkey or kiss him.

Jackie returned with Albert to the family farm after the war.

Until he died in 1921, he lived a leisurely life like an old veteran. Albert lived to a ripe old age and died in 1973.

To this day, he remains the only baboon to attain a military rank, and the only one to have fought in World War I.