Photographers > Tom Aitken
(22) N.407 - War messenger dog in the front area swimming across a canal to reach its master and deliver a message
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| First World War 'Official Photographs' > Photographers > Tom Aitken > (22) N.407 - War messenger dog in the front area swimming across a canal to reach its master and deliver a message |
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| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/74549022 |
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| Description | Messenger dog paddling across a canal to reach its handler, in France, during World War I. The dog pictured swimming across this canal worked as a messenger dog in the front line. Scrolled up messages in waterproof containers would have been attached to the dog’s collar. Dogs were also used in the trenches to kill rats and mice, thereby protecting food supplies. In addition to carrying out messenger duties and various other tasks, a regimental mascot also helped to maintain the troops’ morale. Messenger dogs that served in the British Army were recruited from Battersea Dogs' Home in London, then trained for active service at The War Dog Training School in Shoeburyness, England. The dogs that successfully completed their initial training then received an overseas posting to kennels at Etaples, in France. From Etaples, the dogs were posted to kennels near the front line, where they joined up with combat units. [Original reads: 'OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN ON THE BRITISH WESTERN FRONT IN FRANCE. A war messenger dog in the front area swimming across a canal to reach its master and deliver a message.'] |
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| Description | Tom Aitken was a newspaper photographer from Glasgow who was assigned in December 1917 as a war photographer along with David McLellan and Armando Consolé. McLellan's work also features in the National Library of Scotland’s Haig Papers. War photographers held a hybrid position during World War I, being part of yet not ultimately responsible to the military. |
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| Description | Photographs by named photographers. |
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| Description | Black-and-white photographs mainly of the Western Front during the First World War. Official British war photographers took many of them for propaganda purposes. Unless otherwise stated, titles are the photographs' original captions. From the papers of Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928). The Haig Papers also contain Douglas Haig’s diaries. |
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| Shelfmark | Acc.3155 |
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