Pack horses never know glamour – aside from the famous Staff Sergeant Reckless, they seldom have names that go down in history, and yet they have been essential not just in times of war, but also times of peace. Anyway, here are some British Army packhorses (and their keepers) having fun in the snows of 1941.
Loved the story about Sergeant Reckless!. I wonder what combination of factors make an animal (or human) so outstanding. It was news to me that horses were still used in both WWII and the Korean War. My Dad who was a WW II pilot (American Army) in the China theatre of war, talked about the mule teams used to build the Burma Road. An uncle of his, although up in years, was recruited as a “muleskinner” because he had expertise in handling large mule teams. Apparently, working with mules is something of an art form
Yes, mules require a certain kind of respect, I gather. I know someone who’s writing a global history of mules – looking forward to learning more about them!