A memorial in London’s Park Lane has been unveiled to commemorate animals in war. The sculpture was unveiled by the Princess Royal in central London, depicting various animals including a stallion, dog, mules, elephants, camels, monkeys and bears. The one-million-pound memorial highlights what many may not know about the role of animals in war. The idea stemmed from a book by the author Jilly Cooper, which documented animals’ dedication and suffering. Memorial sculptor David Backhouse told BBC News: "I don't think anyone can fail to be moved by the stories of pigeons that struggled home, of dogs that came through under fire and of the service some of the mules, in particular, gave." The wall also highlights medals given to animals. One of these is the Dickin medal (later replaced by the PDSA’s Silver Medal), which is equivalent to the Victoria Cross for animals. It was first awarded in 1942 and in 1949 was given to the only feline recipient – Simon the cat. Simon’s help controlling the rat population onboard HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze incident in 1949 earned him the honour, and he also received the Blue Cross Medal of the Dumb Friends League for his effort during the crisis. Learn more about Simon’s story and the Yangtze incident |
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