Messenger Dogs in the Field 117 



such as requisitions for ammunition, material, food, and 

 the most common, but not the least important — the situa- 

 tion reports. 



" When the Australian troops were making repeated 

 attacks on the fronts between Villers-Bretonneux about 

 April and May the service of ' Trick ' was repeatedly and 

 specially in demand, and on various occasions on that front 

 he brought back the first messages of the progress of the 

 attacks, and also requests for further materials necessary 

 for the successful carrying out of operations. On one occa- 

 sion special mention was made in divisional orders of the 

 good work done by ' Trick ' and another dog, called ' Wil- 

 lard,' on the front of the left of Corbie. On that occasion 

 ' Trick ' and ' Willard ' brought back the first message of 

 an important and successful operation by the Australian 

 troops. By his good work ' Trick ' was always sought out 

 by any signalling officer when any message of importance 

 and urgency was to be sent, and never once did he prove 

 untrustworthy. 



" A black retriever dog called ' Dick ' had a wonderful 

 record, worthy of the V.C. While carrying a message in 

 the Villers-Bretonneux sector he was wounded very severely 

 in the back and shoulder. The dog completed his run in 

 good spirit, and was ultimately sent to the section kennel 

 for treatment from the veterinary officer. As no foreign 

 bodies could be located in the wounds they were stitched 

 up, and he was soon healed up and at work again. He 

 did his runs in the line as well as before, and seemed all 

 right when we moved to the 8th Corps. A day or two after 

 moving the dog was seen to be suffering, and the attention 

 of the vet. was called to his state. After a few days' 

 observation, the veterinary officer concluded there was 

 some foreign body in the wound, and so, as poor Dick 



