How the Movement Began fPt 



Two other reports on these dogs are as follows : 



" When the Germans withdrew their line in the spring of 

 1917, the dogs were taken up the night before to a wood 

 east of Bucquoy. They were then sent up to a forward 

 observation post, 4,000 yards to the east of the wood, and 

 were released with important messages. They found their 

 way back through masses of troops on the march, to the 

 wood, although they had only arrived there the night pre- 

 viously, and the ground was quite unknown to them." 



" On the attack on the Vimy Ridge the dogs were em- 

 ployed with an artillery observation post. All the tele- 

 phones were broken, and visual signalling was impossible. 

 The dogs were the first to bring through news." 



The definite results obtained through these two dogs, 

 and through Colonel Winter's initiative, led the authorities 

 to inquire into the question of establishing some means 

 whereby supplies of these messenger dogs could be provided 

 for the Army. I was ordered to the War Office to discuss 

 the matter. Suffice it to say, I was glad to propose a 

 definite plan for starting an official school of instruction for 

 military dogs, and that my ideas were agreed to. It was 

 decided that the school should be formed at Shoeburyness, 

 for the reason that the constant firing of the big guns would 

 be excellent training for the dogs. Mrs. Richardson accom- 

 panied me. She has a great gift for training animals, and 

 much of the success of the military dog service was due to 

 her skill and devotion to duty. 



A certain number of men were to be sent to the school 

 each month for instruction in handling the dogs, and these 



