As ANZAC day approaches, our collective consciousness once more turns to the past to remember and honour those Kiwis and Aussies who served their country, especially the ANZAC soldiers of WW1. We recognise the devastating loss of human life in this war but many animals also died due to combat. It is estimated 16 million animals died due to the First World War alone. In this number, there is a fascinating forgotten history of our feline friends.
Both Navy and Airforce enjoying the companionship of their mascots
Approximately 500,000 cats and kittens were enlisted and brought to the trenches, with countless more serving in the Navy. They were essential for mousing, killing rats and helping to stop the spread of disease on both sea and land. Distressingly, cats were very sensitive to the near-undetectable toxic gas often used in the trenches. Their almost immediate reaction to the presence of the gas would alert soldiers, giving them time to put on masks- these cats undoubtedly saved many, many lives.
Men in the trenches protected and loved their cats
Cats did not only serve and protect troops in a practical manner, but many men upheld them as mascots of sorts. There were particularly strong superstitions in the aviation corps around the luck of black cats. The US 81st Division had a black arch-backed cat as their insignia on their uniforms, with another French WW1 pilot claiming that a stuffed black cat attached to his aircraft took a bullet for him.
Cats were often trained to spy on the enemy, but they were also useful for communication with their ability to freely cross no man’s land. Soldiers used cats to initiate the famous Christmas Truce of 1914 by tucking messages of peace and friendship into their cats’ collars, ultimately resulting in temporary armistice. Just imagine a little cat with scrap of paper tied to it’s neck pattering over minefields, carrying with it the prospect of hope. When people could not trust each other enough to cross enemy lines, they still trusted each other’s ability to show compassion towards small, innocent animals, considered pets and friends.
Kittens took pride of place in camps with some even having ration books in their names
Men in both the trenches and in the navy were incredibly fond of the cats that caught and killed rats for them. They shared their rations and played with them by day, cuddling and sharing bedding by night. The cats were undoubtedly integral to the morale and mental health of the soldiers. Although the role of caring for and raising an animal would have been viewed as a more feminine task, it was an accepted expression of humanity on the battlefront- the ability to love was cherished in any form in a time of violence and desperation.
NZ tunneling company troops playing with their camp’s cat
Preparing to spend ANZAC day indoors this year, we ought to reflect on all the sacrifices made for our country. Those cats who died in war gave men the comfort and companionship that our own pets give us now, in the unfamiliar times we are facing.
Bibliography:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/07/animal-victims-first-world-war
https://www.petful.com/behaviors/cats-world-war/
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/history/luck-death-superstitions-in-the-military.html
https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/cats-perfect-wwi-trench-companion?rebelltitem=3#rebelltitem3
https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/four-legs-good/91888755/how-cats-played-a-key-wartime-role
I feel as though we’ve always heard about the use of horses and pigeons being integral in the makeup of wars, but never cats! Before this blog post, I had never known about the use of cats in wars, and better yet, how much they were respected. The comradery of soldiers in trenches and the love of horses on the battlefields is something that has been well-documented in media as well, but the lack of representation of these furry friends and the part they played, baffles me. Maybe you’re right, and the feminization of caring for such gentle creatures was something that certain historians and writers sought to hide and dismiss. However, part of me also wonders if their part was left in the shadows in an effort to make the horrors and tragedy of war a less domesticated, and familiar experience. I’m only speaking from a personal standpoint, but if I had been told that cats were in the trenches as a kid, I might have considered war to be less scary. That might sound silly, but the inclusion of an animal which I consider to be one of peacefulness and lazy days in the sun, certainly would have softened the tales of war for me. I’m sure it had a similar impact on the soldiers who worked with them too. All in all, the use of cats is definitely not something which should be overlooked and I’m eagerly awaiting the cat version of ‘War Horse’ to hit the theatres some day.
Curiously, gas caused only about 0.2% of all deaths in World War I. One interpretation is that cats were extremely effective at keeping soldiers safe from it, but more likely it just wasn’t particularly deadly to us bipeds. I wonder if officers would have been more wary of using it had they known about the risk to innocent cats living among the evil faceless enemy foreigners.
Cats being so important to the war efforts is such an interesting topic. It would be interesting to look at what happened post war to these cats. Did they return with certain soldiers? Did they stay in the battlefield/get euthanised in the country like a lot of horses did? Did they have a particular owner? Do the cats that come home show some form of PTSD like the horses have been shown to? This brings up many questions, a great unknown part of the war history, thank you for the new research topic!