2-18 British War Dogs 



Prom a letter from Colonel Gaube. — I interest myself parti- 

 cularly in the messenger dogs, which went backwards and 

 forwards innumerable times, and gave very good results 

 at Bezonvaux. (Signed) Gaube. 



The Belgian Army 



Before the war, the Belgian Army had considered, to a 

 certain extent, the employment of dogs in war. As the 

 tendency in that country is to employ so many dogs for 

 draught purposes in civilian life, it was natural that the 

 attention of the military authorities should be directed to 

 the adaptation of this form of service to army needs. 

 Therefore, one of the chief forms of military service the 

 Belgian dogs rendered, was in drawing small carriages 

 containing machine guns. Two dogs were harnessed to 

 each carriage, and during the first months of the war in the 

 retreat from Liege, this proved a very valuable service, 

 when every form of traction was of immense value to the 

 retreating army. After this, it was difficult to maintain 

 this form of dog service, owing to the fact that the harness 

 and formation of the carts was only adapted for dogs of a 

 certain size, and these dogs had also to be of equal size 

 and of considerable stature. Belgium being almost com- 

 pletely overrun by the enemy, recruiting of this particular 

 type of dog, of which a speciality is made in that country, 

 was impossible, and soon afterwards the requirements of 

 the French Army pretty well absorbed all dogs of this type. 

 A kennel was, however, started in France, and placed in 

 charge of an officer expert at the work, to cater for the 

 needs of the Belgian Army. Here a certain number of 

 sentry dogs were trained, also some messenger dogs, but, 

 again reverting to the national form of dog service, mostly 

 dugs for draught purposes. 



