DOGS AND "MUD-SHIPS."

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 71, 23 March 1918, Page 13

DOGS AND "MUD-SHIPS."

TOMMY'S FRIENDS. The real landships out here are not the Tanks; they are tho- transport wagons, which, in squadrons, divisions, and single units, plough through this sea of mud in al! directions and at all hours; -writes ;i 'Jacksta.ff,". in the "Daily Mail," dating his * letier from "Somewhere in France."

In . one respect these "craft" conform to the custom of His Majesty's; vessels on the sea. Nearly every one of the "mudships" carries a dog as a mascot. Weird and wonderful is the variety of canines in this mud-plugging fleet. There are big dogs, little dogs; dogs which curl up alongside the driver and sleep peacefully through everything, like so many four-footed Rip Van Winkles; cheeky dogs which sit perkily on the bonnet and yap a cheery "Bon jour" to passers-by; dogs pure bred, dogs half bred, dogs that have in them a strain of every kind of dog that ever was. Anything does that has four legs, will wag its tail when spoken to kindly, and snuggle up alongside the man at the wheel during the long .night trips-, or romp merrily with the "ship's company" in their "stand easy" time.

Where all these animals come from is a myßtery their former owners alone could solve. Nominally they are carried as mascots; actually they "go aboard" as companions. Every good Briton likes a dog. When at home most of the men possessed one, and the fourfooted chum always near him seems to Tommy's mind a direct link beween himself and Blighty. There, and in his abounding love of animals, which has proved such a blessing to the derelict dogs of the war-zone, you have the psychological reason for the presence of a canine joy-rider in almost every transport wagon.

Hundreds of these dogs were simply picked up as they were wandering about in a homeless state seeking somebody who would adopt them. Many are gifts from the people of the country who, while themselves apparently not imbued with any great affection for animals, regard our soldiers' passion for pets of all sorts (there have been even pet monkeys at the fr-.nt!) as one of those odd whims of the incomprehensible Briton which may be humoured though they cannot be understood.

But all the dogs now in the war area are not natives of the soil. In the early days of the war * man living in Scotland lost a valuable dog. Many efforts were made to find Fido, and at last he was given up as having met his death in some untimely way. A long while afterwards Fidos owner went to the war. Massing one day through a shell-torn place "Somewhere in France," he noticed a familiar-looking tyke capering joyously about. "That looks like my dog, but surely it ■ cannot be," he though. By way of making sure—he was a Scotchman —he gave the familiar call, and promptly the dog answered it. Inquiries revealed that- Fido, being probably desirous of seeing how the war was going on, had attached himself voluntarily to a party of soldiers in training near his home, and they, deeming him a "stray," had taken him into their company, and brought him out as a mascot.

Probably many other adventurously minded or patriotically incline's dogs have attained their ambition, and got to the seat of war by similar means. And they are having a great time here, for the soldiers treat them with the utmost kindness.

If any of the "ship's company" has to go short it is never the dog. Were there only one biscuit in the wagon, "Lloyd George," "Hindyburg," "Snatcher." or whatever the dog's name may be (and some of them have very funny' ones), would get half of it.