MAJOR RICHARDSON'S WAR DOGS.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14974, 22 May 1914, Page 9

MAJOR RICHARDSON'S WAR DOGS.

(By LEIGH WOODS, in the "Sootsman.") It- is related by Plutarch that King Pyrrhus, when on a j&urney, fell in with a dog watching tha body of a slain soldier, and when he heard that it had stayed there two days without food and would not leave tho body, ho ordered his men to bury the body, and bring tho dog carefully away. A few days later he held a rcv.ow. and the troops marched past the King, who had tho dog with him quite quiet, but when tho dog saw the murderers oi Lis master "-ass, ho sprang out furiously against • them, and barked at them ; teveral times, turning round to Pyrrhus, so that not only the Sing, but all the bystanders looked on tho men with suspicion. So tiicy were arrest- ; ted at ouce and examined, and iheio rieing some little corrooorative evidence, they confessed the murder, and buffered ior it.

There it is made clear that tho association of tho dog with military fo.ces goes "back to very ancient times. It 13 reasonable to suppose that the dog, of whicn Plutarch wrote, was not a camp follower or soldier's pet, but a fig ting v it in the Grecian A my, for Justor;aus havo recorded the facts that dogs we.o legu.any used in ancient warfare as sentries, for bearing messages, and for actual attack. Whether they were utilised for searching tho remote nlacos of the battle area for wounded stldicrs is not rccordoJ, but V. is in this direction that canine sagacity and adaptability has already done wonderful work in modern bat'.les, and may, as the va'tr.- of their service is recognised, do oven moro.

To this subjoat Major Richardson (whoso work in connexion with the training of police dogs I referred to recently) has devoted years of study, and he has be-pti good enouga -to provide mo with the facts which aro stated in this article

The duties of tho modern military deg may be divided into three sections -Hl') As a scout or gentry: (2) as an aid to tho ambuiance in looking for tho wounded: (3) as a messenger and -ammunition carrier.

In the cour.se of a rec3ut paper read before t>>e R~—»t U*u»-pd Institution, Major Richard ou. stated: —"The development 01 modern hrea.'ms will demand increased meaus for dncoverin'* the intent'ons of the enemy as attacks aro either carried out or tho troops movpd into position for them more or loss in the 'darkness, tho preparatory marching up of the troops for the attack or defence being carried on under cover of night. Here it is tKit tho watchful and tireless sentry dog attached to the front liuo of outposts will find his chief value. With the descent of darkness which renders the human being so helpless, tho hearing or scent-ins powers of tho doz _becomo most acute, and whore tho soldier may often havo his souses dulled by fatigue after a long march or arduous campaign, or even where he m<iy be misled by nervousness to hear sounds that exist'onlv in his imagination, the dog w"ll be found tirelessly wnkeful and alert ,and acutely sensitive to all scents and sounds. Ho will hear or wind j the stealthy approach of tho patrols o? the encmv long hefore tho sentry is aware of there being anyouo iv the neighbourhood. "After hundreds of experiments, I have proved that a dog can hear 200 to 400 vot'lx farther frm. * man, nnd where wind or atmosphere are especially favourable for scenting as well, detection will come at far greater distances, At nil suspicous noise* ho will show restlessness and will make the sentries more watchful and keener in tacir observations. Not only is the sentry dog of use iv front, but also for guardin*f- c-fnitiu'iic'tions in th*» rear, such as bridges, tunnels, and columns bringing up provisions. It is my firm opinion tnat the erticieucy o{ scouts lind sentries would ba enormously increased wero tliey provided with properly trained docs,' and tho appalling results due to rushes and ambuscades would bo 10----dneed'-'-to a minimum. "Th* 'east, uuT'ber a resriment shoui" have, in order to bo properly safeguarded, h twe.ve does, and where in t.mo of war the service lies in very enclosed, dangerous country, this num. her should bo increased. When on tho march tho advance and flank guards should have dogs, and at the bivouac these should bo distributed among tbe sent'des. whilo when troops are entrenched tho dogs can bo placed on guard in tho trenches or in front of the wire entanglements." So much for tho dog for scouting purposes, but useful as his work mis:" *■ ho in this direction, it is surpassed, I think, by the value of tho dog's services in seeking out tho wounded after a hattlo has been fouaht. It is ft well-known fact that when the unfortunate soldier ha 3 been put out of action nn'd is stricken with a, sorious hurt, that tho necessity of Rocking „i.nH cr riressc*. tinon him. In tho ctrifo masses cf cavalry and heavy gnns move riinidly from no.nt to point, ani in the darkness of tho night a wounded man would stand but a poor of escaping further iirurbs should ho remain in tho open field of battle. He has tho knowledge too, that there ia always the danger of artillery fire reaching i him, and so in his great trouble ho crawls as best ho can to cover. It may bo in some remote place, so remote, in fact, that when t>'o st.rp+'-her-bearers co out on their errand of mercy he is liable to be overlooked, and so might linger for days ia agony. In Major Richardson's book, "War, Police, and Watch "Dogs." thoro is an illustration- of a singularly pathetic incident that occurred on the field of Gravelotte. It is that of the skeleton of a soldier found years after the battle in a secluded spot whither be had crawled for refuge from tbo strife. It is urged that if trained ambulance dogs ; were used on tho battlefield it would !be almost impossible for a .wounded soldier to escape discovery. Tlio truth of this statement, tho "Major avers, Ims beon shown by the experience Obtained at trials in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Holland, and elsewhere, in peace time and also during warfare. At a trial at- Neuwied an ambulance dog found out in half an hour all tho casualties in places wboro they would otherwise not have been discovered, whilst further proof was afforded of tho value of the services of ambulance dogs during the Russo-Japanese war, by dogs which Major Richardson himself traiued and suppli<;d to the Russian Army. Ou officer of the late Count Keller's staff recorded the fact that "in rinding tho missing and wounded, with which tho millet fields are strewn, nothing tuicceede-d like our pack of seven dogs. Tho English ones are especially intellU gent. In our last engagement, twentythree men were found iv unsuspected places." It is interesting to note that after the war, Major Richardson had tho honour to receive, at the command of her Imperial Majesty the Empress Mario (President of the Russian Red Cross Society), the war medal, together with tho "grateful thanks" of the Society itself. Uo was also tbo recipient of a magnificent gold watch from the Czar.

Another fact may . be stated here—that is, that at tho outbreak of the South African War, Major Richardson offered to take seine trained ambulance dogs out for servico, but his offer was deolined. Here wo have on example of the hesitancy which is «>o often in evidence, to adopt methods which are cut of harmony with tradition. Maybe much unnecessary suffering and, indeed, saving of life would have resulted if tho keen scent and tracking powers of the ambulance dog had been available in some of the engagements in South Africa,

whore tho ground, as at Spion Kop j and Pietors Hill, made the work of the | arcbulanco corps so difficnlt. j It is a singular fact that, although the War Cluce did not avail itself of "Major Richardson's offer to take (jut. trained dogs to South Africa curing the Boer War, our soldiers obtained very real hcl:> from canine refugees who, having been abandoned with other stock by the euomy, attached I hem- ; selves to the British forces. "We have with our column, alone <wrote a trooper : to Major Richardson), over thirty dogs, j of a variety of breeds from a small ; Pom to the massive Great Dane: and j the standing camps wo come across look almost like dogs' homes.' Of course, they aro mostly crossbreds, but I have seen s-omo really fine specimens of the smooth fox-terrier, rough collie, mastiff, Great Dane, -md greyhound. We havo ono dog with us we found at a deserted farm. We call him the 'Sen try,' and always take him with us on nigbt picket. Vvo have trained him to bo as useful as any man, for no sound escapes him." How the Continental nations value tho keen faculties of scent and hearing for military purposes is effectively demonstrated by the Major in his book, and also in his address beforo the Royal United Sorvice Institution. Official reports, which cannot be questioned, are quoted of eilectual work in actual warfare, as well as at manoeuvres, and there i« abundant personal testimony from officers to show that the belief of Major Richardson is shared by many others who have practical experience to guide them.

Tho utilisation of dogs for the discovery of wounded on the battlefield has now definitely passed the experimental ttfago iv France. * Tho Minister of War has, in view of tho satisfactory results obtained chiefly during tho autumn manoeuvres, decided that the held hospital dos shall figure on the mobilisation rolls. Training kennels have been established at Fontahiebleau, and in time of war oarrli ijrcup of rtretchor beard's will have tho service of from four to six dogs. Animals belouging to private individuals, as well as to societies for the aid of tho wounded, are liable to requisition on mobilisation. The demand of the held dog on tho regimental kitchen is estimated ut cno peuny per diem. A team of ambulance dogs, trained to car'y succour to tho wounded.on the j field of" battle, marched past with tha garrison of Paris it the review cf Long ' champ on the day of the great French national holidny—tho day of tbo tak- , ing of tho Bastille. Many an outlying British picket on a dark eight has feltglad that tho pet, dog of the company has been with him. for a dog's ear catches any suspicious noise quicker than that of a man, and a dog is more alert than any ?entry. The Belgians are now using dogs to draw light machine guns attached to regiments Everyone who has travelled in Belguim knows the big dogs that draw tho milkcarts aud other light things on wheels. A big, strong dog, no matter what hi? breed, fetches a good price in Belgium Tho dogs enjoy their work, and when after a halt, they are told to pull again, they lift up their voice's aud bark with del.ght at being on the road once more. To the lay mind tho case for the systematic uso of diigs in war has been proved conclusively, and when one romombers how great is the canine intel ligence, how subtle the instinct when properly directed, and how remarkable the power of endurance in tho dog is. it is altogether singular that a fuller U66 has not been mado of him by thoso who direct the military sources of our . Empire. !