On the edge of Hyde Park in London, England is the Animals In War Monument. The monument was sculpted by David Backhouse; it is made from stone and cast bronze and spans 58 ft. wide and 55 ft. deep. The unveiling occurred in 2004 to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the beginning of World War 1.
On the main heading of this memorial is the inscription, "This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time."
A variety of animals used in war are honored here. Horses, mules, donkeys, dogs, pigeons, elephants, camels, oxen, glow worms, and many more can all be seen on this monument.
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| Front |
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| Back |
The image on the right shows two mules enclosed in an arena, which represents war. They are trying to break away from their bondage,. This is shown by their direction and intent to enter through the wall. On the left, the backside is depicted. The dog and bronze horse pictured here demonstrate hope for a future, as the dog is looking back at those who were not able to survive, while still showing movement away from war.
While this monument does not show death in a graphic display, it stands to honor the millions of animals who died from a variety of ways, such as wounds, starvation, thirst, exhaustion, disease, and exposure. For example, eight million horses died in World War 1 transporting supplies to the front. Dogs and pigeons were used in the wars to send messages. One fascinating animal that is depicted here is the glow worm; glow worms were used to illuminate messages and maps in the trenches during the war.
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| Below the main inscription on the front of the monument |
- http://www.animalsinwar.org.uk/index.cfm?asset_id=1373
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