Horses, Mules and Donkeys

Many horses from the West Coast made the ultimate sacrifice as they too were shipped overseas to serve in WW1, along with thousands of others horses from all over New Zealand. Only four horses from New Zealand were returned after the war and the most famous of these is known as Bess.

In the photo below, soldiers from the West Coast are pictured preparing to head over the Arthurs Pass by stagecoach on their journey to serve overseas in WW1. These men would have departed from the Greymouth Railway Station on the Otira Express, traversed Arthurs Pass via the stagecoach, before boarding the train to Christchurch, where they would have begun their training. How lucky were these particular horses that they were not “enlisted” to serve on the battle front?

Imagine the horror of the journey for those West Coast horses who did go to war. First they were transported by train to Otira, then they walked across the pass, boarded the train to Christchurch, shipped in big cargo ships to the other side of the world… imagine how scared they would have been! Many horses died or had to be put down whilst in the ship's hold, as conditions were not ideal. They did not have fresh air and could not exercise and if the weather was bad or stormy they could fall and be injured in their stalls, and this was all before they reached the battlefield!

Arthurs Pass 1914: West Coast soldiers heading over Arthurs Pass on their way to war.

Horses

Learn all about Bess. One of only four horses that made it back to New Zealand from WW1.

Here are two stories you might want to read all about Bess.

New Zealand's First World War horsesBetween 1914 and 1916 the New Zealand government acquired more than 10,000 horses to equip the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. They served in German Samoa, Gallipoli, the Middle East and on the Western Front. Of those that survived the war, only four returned home.

Older students: If you want to learn more about horses in WW1, click on the link to the left and you can read all about them.

Donkeys

Watch the story of Roly the ANZAC Donkey.

Donkeys played a very important role in WW1. They were mainly used for transporting all sorts of things. Many donkeys were brought ashore at Gallipoli to help with transport. They would pull ammunition, supplies and water from Anzac Cove up the steep hillsides to the men in the trenches. They also became walking ambulances.

For more on the story of Simpson and his Donkey, read this book. You can find it at the Grey District Library or click this link for a read aloud book. This is the story of John Simpson Kirkpatrick and how he and his donkey, Duffy, rescued over 300 men during the campaign at Gallipoli. When Jack Simpson was a boy in England, he loved leading donkeys along the beach for a penny a ride. So when he enlists as a stretcher-bearer in WW1, his gentle way with those animals soon leads him to his calling. Braving bullets and bombs on the battlefields of Gallipoli, Jack brings a donkey to the aid of 300 Allied soldiers — earning both man and donkey a beloved spot in legend. The heroic story of one man and a donkey.

Mules

Did you know that mules are a cross between a donkey and a horse? Mules were used in WW1 to carry artillery, food supplies and even wounded soldiers on the battlefield.

Here is a mule being loaded on to a ship to be transported to the war front.

Ideas for shape poetry

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