Cheery pilot and observer with their mascot pup ready for a flight over the German lines

Portraits of Pets, Portraits of People with Pets

In many countries, army regiments often kept official and unofficial pets that were popular amongst soldiers in wartime. Sometimes pets took part in military activities – that’s how messenger dogs trained for delivering messages emerged. Mascots cheered up soldiers and helped to cope with stress and personal loss, common emotions during the war. Some countries implemented the practice of bringing animals that served as national symbols to the frontier so as to remind soldiers what are they fighting for. For instance, shots below illustrate kangaroos in Egypt, that were brought by Australian army. The collection includes images from Australian War Memorial, US Library of Congress and National Library of Scotland.

World War I (WWI or WW1), also known as the First World War, or the Great War, was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918. World War I Images From National Library of Schotland. These photographs form part of the papers of Field Marshal (Earl) Haig (1861-1928), held by the National Library of Scotland. More information is available from the Library's Digital Archive. Like many World War I generals, Haig remains a controversial figure. The collection contains diaries, papers and photographs from every part of Haig’s career, the Great War diaries being of special importance to historians. Photographs in the "Official Photographs" series (which were destined for publication and have captions on the back describing the image) are in black-and-white. World War I saw the development of a system of 'official’ reporting by professionals especially recruited into the forces. Initially reluctant to allow cameras near the fighting, it took some time for the authorities to appreciate the propaganda and recording potential of photography. These photographs provide us with an invaluable record of how the Government and Military wanted the war perceived. Official photographers were encouraged to record morale-boosting scenes of victory and comradeship. Despite the restrictions placed on them, official war photographers succeeded in giving the most comprehensive visual account of the war. It is important to remember that these images were propaganda; few that could depict the war in a disheartening or disconcerting way passed the censors. As a result the photograph taken was often posed. They were intended to reassure those at home and boost morale. They were printed in newspapers, and were intended to confirm that 'Tommy' was winning the war.