by Neil R. Storey
Oxford: Shire Publications / New York, Bloomsbury USA, 2021. Pp. 64.
Illus., biblio., index. $14.00 paper. ISBN: 1784424366
They Also Served
Despite its reputation as a mechanized war, animals played an important role in World War II, Anglo-American forces aside, most armies were wholly dependent on horses and mules for much of their transport, and other animals served in all armies in numerous ways. In this little book by British military and crime historian Storey is an excellent first look at the many ways in which horses, mules, dogs, pigeons, elephants, cats, camels, and more.
Following an opening chapter that offers an overview of the surprisingly varied ways in which animals served, Storey has chapters on the ways in which horses and mules, dogs, pigeons, and other animals served in the war, often under fire, horses and mules particularly suffering horrendous casualties. He follows with a chapter on mascots, one on animals on the Home Front, particularly in agriculture and emergency rescue, and one on specific animal heroes, concluding with a look at the postwar lives of some animals, memorialization, and their continuing military service. Although primarily dealing with the British experience, Storey offers some coverage of the experience of other nations.
Although intended for a general readership, Animals in the Second World War is a good book for a younger reader to begin to learn something about the war and the role of animals in it.
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