Articles in Featuring Felines are written by
Patrick Roberts
Copyright © 2003-09 Purr 'n' Fur UK
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Cats in Wartime
The Animals in War Memorial, London
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A striking memorial has been erected in London, England, to all the animals and other creatures that have been caught up in mankind's wars and have served, suffered and perished as a result. The idea for it came from author Jilly Cooper and some of her friends, a group of influential personalities in their own right, who in 1996 started the 'Animals in War' Memorial Fund with Anne, HRH The Princess Royal, as patron. Jilly herself donated to the fund all the royalties from her successful book Animals at War.
After a long and challenging nationwide fundraising operation to raise the £1 million or so needed, the Portland stone and cast-bronze memorial — designed by David Backhouse, one of Britain's leading sculptors — was unveiled on 24 November 2004, by Princess Anne, on its grassy site in central Park Lane, London. The fund will provide for its maintenance in perpetuity.
There is a cat to be seen among the animal silhouettes, and there is a mention on the memorial of the PDSA's Dickin Medal for valour.
The inscription carved on the memorial reads:
Animals in War
This memorial is dedicated to all the animals that served and died
alongside British and Allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time.They had no choice.
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As can be seen from one of the photos above, the PDSA's Dickin Medal is mentioned on the Animals in War memorial. Twelve recipients of the medal are buried at the PDSA Animal Cemetery at Ilford, including Simon of HMS Amethyst, the only cat to have been awarded the DM. At a ceremony in December 2007 the cemetery was reopened after extensive refurbishment, and an account and photographs of the event can be found at this separate page.
Simon's own story is here.Links:
Animals in War Memorial home site, with excellent photos.
Wikipedia has more photos.
Daily Telegraph article with an interesting account of the memorial and the Princess Royal's views.
Other pages in our Cats in Wartime series
On Land and in the Air :: At Sea
Animals remembered elsewhere . . .
The greatness of a nation consists not so much in the number of its people or the extent of its territory as in the extent and justice of its compassion.
— inscription on a memorial in Port Elizabeth, South Africa,
to the thousands of animals that died in the Boer War, 1899-1902
For animals, there is no Geneva Convention and no peace treaty — just our mercy.
— Ingrid Newkirk, president of PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)
Hear our prayer, Lord, for all animals;
May they be well fed and well trained and happy.
Protect them from hunger and fear and suffering
And, we pray, protect specially, dear Lord,
The little cat who is the companion of our house.
Keep her safe as she goes abroad
And bring her back to comfort us.— Russian prayer
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Our featured feline at the head of the page is Socks, pictured in 2003 surveying his 'estate' in the early morning sunshine. Affectionately known as Soxy, he blossomed from a thin and hungry stray into a substantial and handsome cat who loved life and company, and his gentle ways endeared him to many friends. He is now no longer with us, but you can read more from his human companion here.
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