World War 1 Horse

It has been estimated that 8 million horses, donkeys and mules died in World War 1.  The horse above is carrying a cannon on his back.  Will it be fired?

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At the end of the Great War an Australian cavalryman in Palestine wrote these sentiments to wards his  “waler” (short for the most common breed of Austalian warhorse, the New South Wales.)

        “The Horse Stays Behind”

I don’t think I could stand the thought of my fancy hack

just crawling round old Cairo with a ‘Gyppo on his back.

Perhaps some English tourist out in Paletine may find

My broken-hearted waler with a wooden plough behind.

No; I think I’d better shoot him and tell a little lie:

“He floundered in a wombat hole and then lay down to die”

Maybe I’ll get court-martialled; but I’m damned if I’m inclined

To go back to Australia and leave my horse behind.

written by Trooper Bluegum, a pseudonym