American Red Star Animal Relief

[gunbarrel]

I had never heard of this organization. I thought other animal lovers like me may also find this information interesting.

 

American Red Star Animal Relief

 

On May 22, 1916, the Secretary of War invited the American Humane Association to prepare and organize a relief service for animals used in the United States Army, which should do for them what the American Red Cross would do for the soldiers. On June 27, 1916, in accordance with that request, the American Red Star Relief was organized. They started a veterinary corps, in which it recruited veterinarians of approved colleges, and experienced blacksmiths and stable hands for war service. The association was headquartered at 287 State St., Albany, NY.

 

From “War Facts”

 

They put out some neat posters; I wish I had an original in my collection, but looks like they are very pricey.

 

[gunbarrel]

Here is my favorite poster.

 

[gunbarrel]

[gunbarrel]

THE WAR HORSE

LIEUT. L FLEMING, B. E. F., FRANCE

 

Shortly after the verses here following were received from France by the American Red Star Animal Relief, Lieutenant Fleming fell in action. His voice, coming to us as from a plane of life where dumb creatures do not suffer, is a call to civilization to do its duty by the animals whose kind were silent heroes of the war.

 

WHEN the shells are bursting round,

Making craters in the ground,

And the rifle fire's something awful cruel,

When you 'ear them in the night

(My Gawd! it makes you fight!)

An' yer thinks of them poor souls agoing 'ome,

When you 'ear the Sergeant shout

"Get y 'r respirators out,"

Then you looks and sees a cloud of something white.

The gas is coming on

An' yer knows before it's gone

That the 'orse wots with you now won't be by then;

Yer loves him like yer wife

An' yer wants to save 'is life,

But there ain't no respirators, not for them.

I was standing by 'is side

On the night my old 'orse died,

An' I shan't forget 'is looks towards the last.

'E is choking mighty bad,

An' is eyes was looking mad,

An' I seed that--'e--was dying--dying fast.

An' I want to tell yer 'ow

It's the 'orses gets us through,

For they strains their blooming 'earts out when they're pressed.

We was galloping like 'ell

When a bullet 'its old Bill,

I c'd see the blood a-streaming down 'is face,

It 'ad got 'im in the 'ead,

But 'e stuck to it and led

Till we comes to ''Action right,''

An' then 'e fell.

I 'adn't time to choose

I 'ad to cut 'im loose,

For 'e'd done all 'e c'd afore a gun.

When I looks at 'im again

'E was out of all 'is pain,

An' I 'opes 'is soul will rest for wot 'e done.

If it 'adn't been for Bill

We should all 'ave been in 'ell,

For we only got in action just in time.

Ain't it once occurred to you

Wot the 'orses there go through?

They 'elps to win our fight an' does it fine.

When 'is blood is flowing 'ot

From a wound what 'e's just got

An' 'is breath is coming 'ard an' short an' thin.

'E can see the men about,

Getting water dealed out,

But not a drop is brought to comfort 'im;

Tho 'is tongue is parched and dry,

'E can see the water by,

But 'is wounds are left to bleed,

An' 'e can't tell us 'is need,

So 'e's just got to bear 'is pain--an' think.

There are 'eroes big and small,

But the biggest of them all

Is the 'orse wot lays a--dying on the ground.

'E doesn't cause no wars,

An' 'e's only fighting yours,

An' 'e gives 'is life for you without a sound.

'E doesn't get no pay,

Just some oats, and p'r'aps some hay;

If 'e's killed, no one thinks a bit of 'im

"E's just as brave an' good

As any men wot ever stood,

But there's mighty little though or 'elp for 'im.

[T-Bone]

We don't have many horses these days but if there was something like this for our K9 fighters, I would gladly help out.

 

Are they around anymore?

 

T-Bone

[General Apathy]

Hi Gunbarrel, I was saddened to read your post as I hate to think of animals suffering, especially in wars like WWI and WWII when so many horses died horribly.

 

Strangely just an hour before reading your post a friend named Nigel who lives over by the Falaise gap was telling me of the scenes of horrendous death for men, animals and vehicles. Nigel researches the battle there as it's so close to him and he gave me numbers for the men, animals and vehicles that were lost by the Germans in this encirclement by the Canadian, American, Polish and British troops.

 

The only figure that stuck in my mind was around 8.000 horses in a five square mile perimeter, as the German army transport used a great amount of horse drawn carts and such.

 

Thanks for posting it is a reminder of the collateral damage of war

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

[gunbarrel]

We don't have many horses these days but if there was something like this for our K9 fighters, I would gladly help out.

 

Are they around anymore?

 

T-Bone,

 

The American Red Star Animal Relief is still around, but I don't think they are involved with the military any longer. Here is a link to their website for current information:

 

http://www.americanhumane.org/protecting-a...gency-services/

 

Send a PM to Abby K-9 if you are interested in helping military dogs (or dogs of military personnel being deployed); she can probably point you in the right direction.

[gunbarrel]

Strangely just an hour before reading your post a friend named Nigel who lives over by the Falaise gap was telling me of the scenes of horrendous death for men, animals and vehicles. Nigel researches the battle there as it's so close to him and he gave me numbers for the men, animals and vehicles that were lost by the Germans in this encirclement by the Canadian, American, Polish and British troops.

 

The only figure that stuck in my mind was around 8.000 horses in a five square mile perimeter, as the German army transport used a great amount of horse drawn carts and such.

 

Lewis,

 

Do you want to hear something just as strange? Over the weekend I read "After The Battle" issue Number 8 ("The Battle of the Falaise Pocket"). Are you talking about the "Corridor of Death" between the two Mont-Ormel hills? If so, that would be something. The editor went down there with Alain Roudeix and even in 1975 there were animal bones (some with bullets embedded in them) at the dump near Tournai-sur-Dives. As a matter of fact, they found a German horse drawn wagon abandoned in the backyard of a farmer and they bought it from him. If your friend hasn't read this issue, he may want to read it sometime.

[General Apathy]

 

Hi Gunbarrel, yes it is the corridor of death that he lives near, and that was where there was all that great loss of men and materials, pretty sure he has read all the ' after the battle' magazines as we all used to collect them when they first came out.

 

I think on one of our vehicle trips we were featured in issue 5 or 9, I believe there was a large double page centre spread and I remember that I can see myself and friends in the group. I think it's the issue with a large rounded metal gun cupola with the barrel pointing out from the cupola.

 

Attached is a road sign from the area of the corridor of death that I acquired a couple of weeks ago, the design of the sign predates WWII so it might possibly have still been in position during WWII.

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

[ehrentitle]

The US Army Quartermaster Museum has a plaque dedicated to WWI horses and mules. At one time it hung in one of the War Department buildings in Washington, DC. It's hanging in the Remount display in the museum. Here is a photo from my archives.

[gunbarrel]

Lewis,

 

I thought so. The issue you are in is Number 5, the one on Dieppe-Eben Emael.

 

Center page:

 

Troarn Square in Normandy, June 1974. In the background the road down which Major Roseveare drove on the night of June 6, 1944.

 

A while back I had a chance to buy the first 30 issues of ATB, bound, and I jumped on the opportunity. Got a very good deal on them. They are a great source of information.

 

PS That sign is quite the piece of history. Congratulations!

[gunbarrel]

Kevin,

 

Thanks for posting that picture!

[ehrentitle]

I found a larger photo on my hard drive of the plaque that I posted here earlier:

[ehrentitle]

I found a larger photo on my hard drive of the plaque that I posted here earlier:

 

 

I forgot to mention that one of the sponsors of the plaque was the American Red Star Animal Relief

[Lynn1117]

I had never heard of this organization. I thought other animal lovers like me may also find this information interesting.

 

American Red Star Animal Relief

 

On May 22, 1916, the Secretary of War invited the American Humane Association to prepare and organize a relief service for animals used in the United States Army, which should do for them what the American Red Cross would do for the soldiers. On June 27, 1916, in accordance with that request, the American Red Star Relief was organized. They started a veterinary corps, in which it recruited veterinarians of approved colleges, and experienced blacksmiths and stable hands for war service. The association was headquartered at 287 State St., Albany, NY.

 

From “War Facts”

 

They put out some neat posters; I wish I had an original in my collection, but looks like they are very pricey.

 

 

 

This is a very interesting post, being an animal lover myself I find it hard not to feel for those animals who had/have sustained injuries or more. To add to it I am originally from a town 45 min west of Albany. Excellent post.