590 | War: Using Animals in Transport have been horrendous and are indeed incalculable The direct exploitation of animals by humans as tools of war has been particularly extensive These animals include dogs, pigeons, horses, donkeys, camels, elephants, cats, and dolphins During the Great War, at least 20,000 pigeons were used and died, as well as over a million horses just in the French campaign alone; few survived Many individual animals, most given personal names, have been praised and awarded for their bravery and courage under fire, and they are now glorified in statues and other tributes that memorialize their efforts The most famous of these is the newly erected Brook Gate memorial in Hyde Park in London Pigeons have been used, and some would say exploited, by humans for millennia During the Great War, the U.S Pigeon Service had some 54,000 pigeons in service, and individuals were given ranks such as captain In England, the Dicken Medal of Gallantry was awarded to 32 pigeons for their courageous flights under fire Three horses, 24 dogs, and a cat have also been awarded the Dicken Medal, the most recent a British springer spaniel, for service in Iraq Another classic example of the use of animals by humans in war is the case of mules and donkeys during the Great War Mules, which are a hybrid created by mating a male donkey and a female horse, had been the main means of transport in most theaters of war since the Roman and Greek armies used them for pack work and riding Animal transport was still vital in many areas, such as the hot, dry, and mountainous conditions at Gallipoli The British Army turned to those units that had served in India, where mules had proved invaluable on the rugged Northwest Frontier Well-trained mules had proved their ability to march for over fourteen hours along the most difficult and dangerous paths, especially in mountainous areas Mules endured terrible conditions in the trenches of France; the muddy ground was unsuitable for them Most of the ammunition at Passchendale, for example, was delivered by mules over ground that was hardly passable, transformed into lakes of deep mud Many hundreds drowned in mud and shell holes However, their good health and their length of life at the front won accolades from all quarters Their powers of endurance and resistance to bad conditions were legendary Unlike horses, few fell sick, and they were incredibly brave under fire Mules are highly intelligent and have amazing stamina Many thousands of donkeys, which are slightly smaller than mules, also served in the Great War In the East Africa Campaign of 1916–17, over 30,000 died a terrible death from tsetse fly, others from the supposed antidote, arsenic Donkeys served with all of the Allied armies in France Small enough to weave their way along the trenches, they carried food and ammunition to the soldiers on the front lines One account relates how they saved the soldiers at El Salt Food and ammunition were running out and the troops were stranded Two hundred donkeys were loaded up and, marching all night over appalling country, they covered the forty miles to save the stranded soldiers During the Gallipoli campaign, donkeys were mainly used to carry water to the soldiers, but mules made the most valuable contribution in the transportation of vital materials up the treacherous ravines to the front lines Each mule carried two boxes of ammunition as they sure-footedly trotted up the steep