58 WASTAGE OF ANIMALS IN WAR. 



The wastage in other wars, including some of the Expeditions 

 on the Indian Frontiers, chiefly relates to Transport, and 

 putting aside the dire contagious diseases which lay low so 

 many of the various breeds of animals employed on Transport 

 Service, it is a certain fact that defective system and inadequacy 

 of personnel to supervise animals has led to wastage that can 

 only be described as distressing. I shall refer to this more fully 

 in the chapter dealing with the causes of wastage. 



Evacuations, 



I believe in figures and percentages. They are necessary for 

 the control of wastage, and as a guide for calculating and 

 adjusting replacements. A General Officer Commanding a 

 Division, Corps, or Army, should always know by a simple 

 statement how his inefficiency stands week by week, and if 

 possible, he should be made acquainted with the inefficiency 

 of other Divisions, Corps or Armies, in comparison. 



There is no point in maintaining inefficient animals at the 

 Front. They should be got rid of and replaced, fighting units 

 should be kept up to their fighting strength as much as possible. 

 This has now been thoroughly realized in the British Army, and 

 all Formations in the Field have organized Veterinary units to 

 effect removal ; and conversely Bemount Service has machinery 

 to effect replacement by fit animals. 



By this means not only is efficiency maintained but wastage 

 is curtailed. Animals get a chance of recuperation and speedy 

 cure when such is feasible or economically sound. Their vitality 

 and utility are not hopelessly destroyed, and it is good business 

 both for the animal , and for the State. 



Organized and systematic evacuation plays a great role in 

 the prevention of wastage, and I am sanguine that, other things 

 being equal, through this procedure the dark pages of utter 

 waste of animal life and treasure will be closed for ever in the 

 history of our Armies. Other nations have taken copy of 

 methods inaugurated by our Armies in the Field, fully realizing 

 the advantages which such methods carry in their train. We 

 are proud of being pioneers. 



