Pierrot the Carabinier: Dog of Belgium
Pierrot the Carabinier, Dog Of Belgium
by Walter A. Dyer
Published by Diggory Press, 5th January 2006, ISBN 1846850363
The charming story of Pierrot, a Belgian cart-dog who was one of the hundreds of dogs recruited to haul small supply carts and machine-guns for the Belgian Armys Carabiniers on the Belgian Front in the First World War .
These dogs suffered much: parted from their homes and families, they had to endure the terrors of a war they did not understand. In the heat of battle there was no time to unharness the dogs from their guns or take them to cover, so they were turned around and held down as they stood dazed and terrified, facing away as the machine-guns rattled directly behind them. Many dogs were killed or maimed: at best their feet suffered from frostbite and were cut to shreds. Some dogs died of pneumonia, or, weakened by hunger and exposure in a Belgium that was starving, had to be shot.
Despite being injured and left for dead on the battlefield, Pierrot survives and limps back across a blighted Belgium to find his family.
This was originally written in a style suitable for older children. However it is more suitable now for an adult interested in finding out more about the use of dogs during WW1. It is illustrated throughout by Gordon Grant.
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