A Quick End
Humane cattle and horse killer, c1914. NAM 2006-07-40
A vital contribution
During the First World War (1914-18) thousands of horses, mules, camels, donkeys and oxen served with British forces. They were used to carry supplies and ammunition, transport the wounded and pull guns. Cavalry regiments also used thousands of horses. The trenches and barbed wire defences of the Western Front proved inhospitable to cavalry so large-scale operations were rarely carried out after 1914. In the Middle East and Africa, where the war was more mobile, the cavalry played a more important part.
An emaciated horse. NAM 1971-09-15-42
Thousands of animals were killed or wounded, while others succumbed to fatigue and disease. While the Army Veterinary Corps tried to save as many as possible, thousands had to be destroyed. Many were shot, but sometimes tools like this humane killer were used. It is a single shot device and unscrews to take a .310 cartridge. This was fired into the skull of the animal in order to kill it as humanely as possible.
Although today’s Army is fully motorized, horses, donkeys and mules still serve alongside British soldiers. Visitors to London are familiar with the ceremonial duties of the Household Cavalry’s horses, but along with donkeys and mules, horses have recently been used in remote and inaccessible areas. These include parts of Bosnia and Afghanistan.
