Sgt. Billy and the Unstoppable Pigeon: 4 Animal War Heroes

In 1918 a wounded carrier pigeon saved 194 soldiers by flying through a storm of German bullets.

Animals have played a part in war throughout human history, acting as messengers, mascots and even combatants. Here are the stories of four standout examples, including:

• Sergeant Billy the Prisoner-Taking Goat
• Cher Ami the Unstoppable Pigeon
• Kuno the Special-Forces Saving Dog
• Corporal Jackie the Baboon Veteran

Sergeant Billy the Prisoner-Taking Goat: Do you think it would be embarrassing to be taken prisoner by a goat?

Billy (or Bill) was drafted in 1914 when men of the 5th Canadian Battalion passed through Saskatchewan. The soldiers took a shine to the goat, so the owners decided to hand it over as a good luck charm.

The goat was smuggled first to England and then to France by his new friends. Unfortunately he seemed to have picked up bad habits on the way, resulting in him being court-martialed for eating the Battalion Nominal Roll (a list of serving soldiers) and butting a superior officer.

Billy may have been a bit anti-authoritarian for military life, but he proved his worth on the battlefield. During the second battle of Ypres, the wounded Billy was found guarding a defeated Prussian guardsman at the base of a shell crater.

He's also credited with saving three soldiers by butting them into a trench seconds before an artillery shell would have ripped them to pieces... though he did take some shrapnel as a result of his heroism. This wasn't the only hardship the goat suffered either - he survived gas attacks, shell-shock and trench foot during his tour!

Billy was given the rank of sergeant and a collection of medals (Mons Star, General Service and Victory) during his service and was smuggled back to Canada at the end of the war. His taxidermized and uniformed body resides in Broadview Historical Museum to this day!

Cher Ami the Unstoppable Pigeon: How many people do you think could sprint 25 miles after being shot through the chest?

In 1918, over 500 men from the US 77th division advanced into the Argonne Forest. While the attack went well, their supporting units found themselves stalled by the Germans.

Soon the men of the 77th found they had pushed too far forwards and were trapped behind German lines. The "Lost Battalion" were surrounded, outnumbered, low on ammo and reliant on a stream for water. As if this wasn't bad enough, an intelligence mix-up led to friendly artillery targeting the beleaguered soldiers. Even if they held out against the Germans, they would likely die to the comrades trying to save them

With the radio out of range and every runner they sent being captured or killed, the battalion turned to homing pigeons to get a message out. By this point the Germans knew the value of carrier pigeons and had trained to shoot them out of the sky. Bird after bird dropped to the ground, until only a single pigeon remained - Cher Ami.

The trapped troops felt their spirits rise as Cher Ami (Dear Friend) fluttered between shots, until a bullet punched through the pigeon's chest and it tumbled from the sky.

All hope seemed lost, but the bird struggled back to its feet and once again took to the skies. It flew twenty-five miles in slightly less than half an hour, arriving at friendly lines with a hole through the breast, damage to the eyes and a right leg held on by a thread.

American forces were able to use the intelligence brought by Cher Ami to launch a rescue operation, bringing home 194 men. Army medics were able to stabilize the heroic pigeon, who was personally sent back to America by General Pershing with a Croix de Guerre medal.

The bird would eventually die in 1919 as a result of the injuries it sustained. Cher Ami's taxidermized body now holds pride of place in the National Museum of American History.

Kuno the Special-Forces Saving Dog: It must be slightly awkward for a special forces team to report being saved by a dog.

In 2019 a UK-led night-raid on an al-Qaeda compound ran into difficulties. Though the SBS are well-trained and deadly fighters, they found themselves pinned down by machinegun fire and thrown grenades while the clock ticked away.

It was the Belgian Shepherd Kuno who saved the day. Credited with changing the course of the mission and recognized by the British government for saving the lives of the team, Kuno charged through a torrent of bullets and wrestled the gunman to the ground.

His heroism nearly cost him his life. Kuno took bullets to both of his back legs and needed to receive emergency medical treatment as a helicopter evacuated the team. He also had to have one of his paws amputated as infection set in.

Back in the UK, Kuno received a course of physiotherapy and a set of custom prosthetics to support what was left of his legs. Though awarded a Dickin medal for his service, he seems to have adjusted well to civilian life and seems to enjoy having the ability to run and jump as much as he likes!

Corporal Jackie the Baboon Veteran: Did you know that a baboon achieved the rank of corporal and left the South African military with a pension?

When Albert Marr went to join the South African Infantry Brigade, he took the unusual step of bringing his pet baboon with him.... and for reasons unknown, the recruiters allowed "Jackie" to join up alongside him!

Jackie was apparently well behaved and even had a fairly military bearing. These qualities led to him being adopted as the official mascot of the regiment.

Despite being a baboon Jackie was made a full member of the regiment, drilled, marched and drew rations alongside the other soldiers and was even issued his own uniform and cap. Rising to the occasion, Jackie learned to salute officers, eat with a knife and fork in the mess and even light cigarettes for the soldiers.

When Marr was shot in the shoulder during the battle of Agagia, Jackie stayed beside his owner and even tried to lick the wound. He also had a knack for spotting enemy ambushes, more than earning his keep in the eyes of his comrades.

Sadly Jackie wasn't immune to the dangers of war - in 1918 he was struck by shrapnel that destroyed his leg. At the insistence of Marr, Lt-Col Woodsend administered chloroform, amputated the leg and dressed the wounds. Since Jackie was on the books as a part of the regiment, his injuries were logged and the simian was sent to a casualty clearing station just as any other soldier would have been.

Marr and Jackie went fundraising for the Red Cross after the war, with the baboon receiving an official military discharge, medal of valor and pension for his service!

Sources and Further Information:

• Wounded in action: Sergeant Billy, the goat in military service for Canada in the Great War
• Biographies: Cher Ami 77th Division 1918-1919
• Cher Ami at the American History Museum
• UK military dog to receive PDSA Dickin Medal after tackling Al Qaeda insurgents
• Medal for hero dog Kuno which saved soldiers' lives in Afghanistan
• National WWI Museum and Memorial: Jackie the Baboon