British artillery unit mascot - or pet?

[Moonraker]

A modest find at a postcard fair (which, incidentally, yielded very little else; good material seems to be drying up).

First of all, I can't tell a sheep from a goat, so what is the beast?

The card is uncaptioned but happily the Warminster photographs in WWI divided up the local camps, and Fielder concentrated on Corton and Boyton, which housed artillery units attached to infantry divisions training down the road at Codford. (In 1915 these were British but the following year ANZACs took over the local camps.) The lanyards worn by these men confirm the artillery association.

Until I started thinking about it, I had assumed that many famous regiments had animal mascots that were much cherished and the responsibility of a designated soldier. (Robert Graves in Goodbye to All That refers to the Royal Welch Fusilier's regimental goat-major (a corporal) being reduced to the ranks for offering the goat's stud services to a local goat breeder; his defence was that it was out of kindness to the goat. On the other hand, other units, perhaps at company or platoon level, might adopt a stray dog.

So I'm guessing that the animal shown here was something in between mascot and pet - perhaps borrowed from a local farmer whilts the unit was based locally and returned to him when it went on active service. (The First Canadian Contingent on Salisbury Plain had several bear mascots, including the one that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, and left them at London Zoo when it went to France.) I can't see there being much scope for a ceremonial mascot with an artillery unit busy training. Any comments?

Moonraker

[carninyj]

I can tell you nothing other than that it is a goat, probably a billy!

Carninyj

[HarryBettsMCDCM]

I can't tell a sheep from a goat, so what is the beast? I can't see there being much scope for a ceremonial mascot with an artillery unit busy training. Any comments?

A nice Curry??