Names or nos or what?

[christine liava'a]

How did the army, in general, keep track of the animals it employed?

Did they have names, or numbers, or just descriptions?

Were records kept of these animals, apart from "150 Horses" or similar?

[AndrewThornton]

Horses certainly had names, often given to them by the soldiers who looked after them. I have a copy of a diary of a Driver with 466th Field Company Royal Engineers, who recorded that two of his team, Babe and Salmon, had to be taken to the Mobile Vet Section after being gassed while at Gorre and had to be destroyed.

Horses were also had numbers as far as I am aware. They certainly did in Cavalry regiments, the number being stamped on one of the hooves on the back legs (can't remember which one), while the regiment often stamped it's designation on the other back hoof. This is why Farriers traditionally carried poleaxes, as if a horse was killed in battle or died on service, the spike on the back of the axe would be used to dispatch any badly wounded mounts, while the numbered hooves were removed to send back to headquarters so that the loss of the horse could be recorded and a request for remounts could be sent back to the depot. This system is still used by the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment in London. Similarly, when a horse was destroyed because it back ill or infirm, often after being paraded in front of the Vet Officer at a "casting parade", the hooves would be removed and recorded after the horses where destroyed.

I am not sure about Camels, but I am sure that a similar numbering system was developed for them as well!

[paul guthrie]

All camels named Abdul including the two that swam the Mediterranean.

[mordac]

All camels named Abdul including the two that swam the Mediterranean.

Hi Paul:

As an American you know darn well there's only one name for a camel, Joe Camel. As in the "I'd walk a mile for a Camel" fame.

Garth

[paul guthrie]

Garth,

Boy camel name Abdul. Girl camel name Fatima. Joe American camel.

Paul

[Andrew Hesketh]

I might look daft now, but are you serious that all male camels were Abdul and all females were Fatima? It's just that I am researching a man in the Camel Corps and, if true, this is an interesting (if useless!) snippet of information. Or have I misunderstood a joke?

[Guest stevebec]

Sorry guy's not true.

The Camel Corps did number all animals and as mention went through the same when KIA or other.

All soldier also did name their animals, and these are as imaginary as the men who rode them.

I have a racing meeting program and these are some of the names used;

Windy, hard times, Archie, lucky jim, flash jack and Vinegar to name a few.

I failed to mention in the underwater Camel story about "why Camels are known as ships of the desert"

But we may have females on line and the mention of Arab seamen may offend.

S.B

[paul guthrie]

To my horror it appears the creatures were named everything but Abdul and Fatima! Yes it was a joke Andrew.

[HERITAGE PLUS]

This is not of WW1 vintage but it may be of interest.