66 WASTAGE OF ANIMALS IN WAR. 



Age in relation to wastage. The rule of the Army used to be 

 that only horses between six and twelve years were to be sent 

 on service, and fifteen years and over was the age for casting. 

 As the late war progressed, extending into over four years, 

 animals naturally exceeded the accepted useful ages, but it is 

 a point to be noted that animals of advanced years stood the 

 campaign wonderfully well, and the maximum age limit of 

 twelve years can certainly be expunged in favour of an open 

 question. Some of the old trained horses of Cavalry have a 

 remarkable record, and have stamped themselves as real tough 

 warriors. Eecord was kept of the ages of all horses evacuated, 

 and it was found that this ran about 11'5 per cent., gradually 

 coming down in 1918 to under 10 per cent., for animals 

 fifteen years and over. 



Battle Casualties. 



In campaigns previous to the late war, excepting perhaps in 

 Cavalry charges, the casualties in animals from actual gunfire 

 was in small ratio to other causes of wastage. I therefore pass 

 them by, and come immediately to modern times, and a 

 consideration entirely of the wastage in the principal theatre 

 of the recent Great War. 



During the first two years of the campaign in France, battle 

 casualties were extraordinarily low. This was largely attri- 

 butable to the stationary nature of the warfare, and the lesser 

 power of Artillery and other elements of destruction. 



"With the advent of offensive operations of the summer of 

 1916, the enormous increase of Artillery, and the development 

 of bombs and gas, casualties correspondingly increased, and 

 loss became heavy. 



By the careful selection of horse lines and splitting up 

 animals into small groups, Unit Commanders were able to 

 minimise the effect of hostile fire very considerably. 



Aerial bombs were responsible for a large proportion of the 

 battle casualties, and their effect was combated with a con- 

 siderable measure of success by the erection of mud walls, 

 five feet high, round horse lines and stables, and by anti-bomb 

 traverses within stables. A bomb in its action bursts low, and 

 ma;ny broken legs and abdominal injuries were saved by anti- 

 bomb walls and traverses. 



