Jet the Rescue Dog and other extraordinary stories of animals in wartime

A timely collection of stories of animal heroism in war, several of the tales of bravery recounted here feature battles of World War I.  David Long, whose books for adults include The Animals’ VC: for Gallantry and Devotion, turns his attention here to younger readers, reminding us that not all war heroes are human.  Dogs, horses, cats, birds and even bears have been responsible for saving lives through instinct, intelligence, courage and devotion.  Jet, the Alsatian dog of the title, rescued survivors of the Blitz, clambering over burning rubble and collapsing buildings.  Several other brave dogs are featured in accounts of World War II London, but the war scenes range from Gallipoli in 1915 to Helmund Province in 2011, and include an animal that assisted rescuers at Ground Zero in New York in 2001.  Perhaps the most extraordinary story is that of Voytek, the black bear adopted as a cub by the Polish II Army Corp, which grew up not only to drink and smoke like a soldier, but to carry shells at Monte Cassino, enlisted as a private with rank and number in order to travel with his fellow troops.  He ended his days in retirement at Edinburgh Zoo.  In a final epilogue Long encourages readers to visit London’s Animals in War Memorial that acknowledges the sacrifice and heroism of these animals.