11/11/2021
Happy Veterans Day! Our deepest thanks to all the brave men, women and animals who served our country and who continue to serve.
In case you missed it — following is the story of Nelson (pictured below with his soldier), a real war horse who served in the Warwickshire Royal Horse Artillery during World War I.
Nelson was one the horses who pulled the medium-calibre guns and howitzers which were deployed close to the front line. Nelson's handler and driver, Alfred Henn, kept a photograph of the war horse he had cherished as a young soldier until his death in 2000, at the age of 103.
Speaking before he died, Alfred recalled Nelson's unflinching bravery despite only having one eye. With Alfred riding him, and the full weight of a gun carriage behind him, the noble horse galloped directly into the gunfire. Nelson was Alfred's only confidant amid the horror of battle, and also had an uncanny sense of danger that served both soldier and horse well.
Horses were a valuable commodity during WWI, but it's said the terror they shared in those days forged incredible friendships between the animals and their humans. It was a very physical relationship, and soldiers and horses often slept together in the mud to ward off the cold.
Source: Daily Mail
