Real story of the War Horse

Reviews and commentary on books, films, etc.
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dekenai
Posts: 12
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:42 pm
Last Name: Crispin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKFRhFQk ... ata_player

The link sends you to a BBC 4 part doco on the horse in WW1.

Points to remember that weren't fully bought home;

Canada and the USA at one point were sending 6000 horses and mules to Europe through USA ports.

The Indian cavalry were mounted on Australian Walers, some Walers being also purchased by Brtian for use in France. The Otago mounted rifles (NZ) were if France as was a Regt ofAustralian Lighthorse.

Excellent book by Military Vet Offr, "Vets at War" portrays the conditions of France.

Brits, 1 horse for every 3 men with 165k initially for draft duties, by wars end, 475k
German mobilized 750k
Austrians 650k
Russians in excess of 1 million

USA shipped 6000 mules a week

Aus 139k, which 22k went to desert (none bar 1 came home)

By 1919
8m killed,
2.5m treated in vet hospitals

Motto on memorial to the animals in war, (Hyde park London), " because they had no choice".

RDC
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