Operation Blog is ACTIVE

OK students...this is the platform upon which students will share their knowledge and understanding of the great marker event of 20th century world history: World War 2. The rules are simple:

1. All students must make at least one post to this blog. Posts are in the form of reflections, opinions, links to articles, video, music, images, etc. Students must relate the nature of their posts to a theme of the conflict and make commentary.

2. All students must make at least one comment on another students post. Comments must be thoughtful, argumentative if inclined, insightful, or you my pose some question leads to another post by you or another classmate.

3. You must tag your post with the applicable theme(s).

4. Grades will be based on an holistic scoring scale which heavily weights the frequency and substance of posts and comments. Minimum participation equates to minimum scores for this class exercise.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

WWII Animals

In world was 2 many animals were used to fight or carry messages. Dogs were used as suicide bombers as bombs were strapped to there backs and they would sprint to the enemy and explode. The soviets used them to go to explosives, tanks, armored veichles, etc. The idea was a disaster when against big armies because the dogs would get confused. Pigeons were proposed to be able to guide bombs but the idea was turned down. Instead the pigeons were used to send messages to the other forces. The animals that really contributed to the war would revieve Dickin Medals which was a bronze medal that had the words "For Gallantry" and "We also searve" engraved on it. In WWII 54 medals were awaded. 32 to pigeons, 18 to dogs, 3 to horses and one to a cat. The pigeons got awards for succesfully sending important messages. The dogs got it for rescuing people. The horses got it for controlling traffic, following flying bombs (aircrafts carrying a large explosive warhead), and remaining calm in a fire. The cat got it for disposing many rats on a ship even though it was injured. One dog, Judy, was rewarded a Dickin Medal. She was on a ship and pointed to a ship long before anyone on the ship could see it. The shipw as sunk and all of the crew, including judy became prisoners of war. Doing what she could to help out, she would find food and raise moral in the prison. She is the only animal to have officially been registered as a Japanese prisoner of war.

4 comments:

  1. wow! i never knew that people these times sure do trust on animals to send *important messages*, and cannot believe that even a DOG is a prisoner!

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  2. Why did a cat recieve a medal for disposing of rats? Were the rats troublesome in any way? Were they eating the food in the ship? Very interesting post...
    God bless Judy. :P

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  3. Well Simon, The Cat, was injured from a shot on a river in China and no one expected him to make it. He survived but was still injured. The ship he was on was over run with rats when the ship was anchored and Simon helped kill them. Of course the rats were trouble some they're rats and of course they ate the food. He's famous because one, he was smuggled in from Hong Kong, and two, he became famous because the shot he survived from made him popular. I guess popularity played a major role in his award too. At the end of his gravestone the engraving reads "HIS BEHAVIOUR WAS OF THE HIGHEST ORDER" so i think thats also important.

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  4. Not only were civilians and soldiers affected during world war II, but also animals were brought in to be a part of the gruesome war. Only 54 of the animals got any recognition but I bet thousands for millions were involved. This war really is considered as TOTAL WAR. :( poor animals

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