The Animals in War Memorial: Glowworms, Mules & Pigeons

The Animals in War Memorial on Park Lane in London is a 58-foot curved Portland stone monument commemorating animals that served in British military conflicts. Designed by sculptor David Backhouse and unveiled by Princess Anne in 2004, the memorial features bronze animal sculptures and bas-relief carvings of creatures ranging from mules to glow-worms. Inspired by Jilly Cooper's 1983 book, the site was funded through two million pounds in public donations.

London Β· from the walk β€œThe People's Park: Secrets & Untold Stories of Hyde Park” Β· audio ~4 min Β· Generated

Animals in War Memorial, Brook Gate, Park Lane, London W2 2UH

Who designed the Animals in War Memorial on Park Lane in London?

Take a look at this curved wall of Portland stone ahead of you. Most people rush past it on Park Lane without a second glance. But this... is one of London's most quietly devastating monuments.......... The Animals in War Memorial commemorates the countless animals that served and died under British military command throughout history. And that wall you're looking at? It's a fifty-eight foot curved Portland stone wall, engraved with carvings of creatures that served in wars.......... Look closely at the stone. Carved into the bas-relief you'll find elephants, camels, goats, pigeons, and even glow-worms. Yes... Glow-Worms. During World War One, soldiers in the trenches would collect handfuls of these tiny bioluminescent creatures and hold them over their maps in the darkness β€” just enough faint green light to read coordinates without giving away their position to the enemy.......... Mules were silenced in the Burmese jungle during World War Two by having their vocal cords cut β€” so that a single bray wouldn't betray an entire column of soldiers to the Japanese. Think about that for a moment.......... Now, notice the two bronze mules struggling up the steps, loaded with supplies. Eight Million horses and countless mules and donkeys died in the First World War alone. They hauled ammunition and supplies to the front, and mules were found to have tremendous stamina in extreme climates and over the most difficult terrain, serving in the freezing mud of the Western Front and later at Monte Cassino in World War Two.......... And the pigeons! More than one hundred thousand pigeons served Britain in the First World War, and two hundred thousand in World War Two. Messenger pigeons played a vital role in communications, relaying messages from the front line to headquarters more reliably than telephone or radio.......... Now walk around to the Other side of the wall. See those faint, ghostly outlines? Carved on the outer side are ghost-like outlines representing animals lost in conflicts β€” shadows of creatures that never came home.......... But here's what makes this memorial truly remarkable. It was inspired by Dame Jilly Cooper's nineteen eighty-three book, "Animals in War." Public response to the book led to a campaign, supported by Cooper, to establish this memorial. It took Twenty years of fundraising β€” two million pounds raised through a national appeal and the generosity of many individual donors β€” before sculptor David Backhouse could bring this vision to life. It was officially opened on the twenty-fourth of November, two thousand and four, by Princess Anne, on the ninetieth anniversary of the start of World War One.......... And do you see the small inscription near the bottom? Four words that stop most visitors in their tracks... "They had no choice." That's the heart of it. Every horse, every dog, every pigeon, every glowworm β€” pressed into a war that was never theirs to fight.......... The memorial has since become a place where locals come to pay tribute to their own beloved, lost pets. So if you see a small bouquet of flowers or a handwritten note tucked near the bronze dog... now you know why.

Nearby stories