Geese used as warning of imminent attack

[robertb]

15th Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment for 20 October 1916 has an account of the Germans using geese as a means of warning of an imminent attack.  Are there other examples of geese or other animals used in this way during the War?

 

 

[Ron Clifton]

There is a legend, probably untrue, that Rome was saved from attack in about 390 BC by the cackling of sacred geese, so the concept is certainly not new. Google "Manlius" for links to the story.

 

Ron

[Margosh]

Interesting. I haven't seen that before. But we have geese 'patrolling' outside our work premises and they certainly kick up a racket when cars or people are moving around.Best alarm out!

Maybe a soldier with farming/rural background had seen them close by and realised they could be useful in this way?

I am sure someone, somewhere must have done a study in the 'use' of animals, would be interesting to know if this was a one-off or a known plan.

 

Margaret

[Interested]

IMHO Ron's comment is more likely, as back in the day, in school, we learnt all about Rome being saved by a gaggle of geese.  

[Talesofaseadog]

The use of geese to raise the alarm sounds quite possible to me and its nice to see the written proof.

Dogs were also used with their sensitive hearing, an American one called Rags would apparently lie down when he heard shells coming and Jim an Airdale warned of the first Zeppelin raid on the Kent coast.

Slugs were also used to detect gas by the Americans in 1918.

 

Many animals have much better senses than we do.

Tony

[charlie962]

A good story of geese detecting incoming shells is on this old thread, post 53. Do we know the unit ?

[BIFFO]

Bit off topic I know BUT

I have been lucky enough to have been to South Africa a few times,once we stayed with a  relation who lives on the edge of the"bundu", snakes often get into his property,he has  4 geese to provide  eggs but also to use as a snake alarm which he says they are excellent.

[mebu]

Slugs were also used to detect gas by the Americans in 1918.

 

Sounds interesting....any references where this can be explored?

 

Thanks, Peter

[Talesofaseadog]

1 hour ago, mebu said:

Slugs were also used to detect gas by the Americans in 1918.

 

Sounds interesting....any references where this can be explored?

 

Thanks, Peter

Look up Dr. Paul Bartsch (Cited from: http://www.militarian.com/threads/ww1-common-garden-slug-brigade.11948/) .

There is a wikipedia page as well.

Tony

[barkalotloudly]

My brother used to own a kennels and employed some as watch dogs etc however after one of them bit the postman in the testicles they had to be locked away !

[mebu]

Thanks for the reference to Paul Bartsch and his slugs. Looks like there's no point in using mustard gas to protect my lettuce seedlings.

However I do believe they are affected by a pinch of salt.

 

Peter

[edwin astill]

Wonder how long the geese lasted before being eaten.

 

E

[GWF1967]

On 11/12/2019 at 18:11, barkalotloudly said:

My brother used to own a kennels and employed some as watch dogs etc however after one of them bit the postman in the testicles they had to be locked away !

My parents owned a kennels with a Canada goose as guard. My father suffered in the same way!🙈