JF Ptak Science Books Quick Post
This is a striking image of a bright and reaching idea–the use of dogs to find, identify, and alert the presence of a wounded soldier on the battlefield. The dog would be sent out onto the battlefield, where it would find wounded soldiers, after which the dog would retrieve a possession of the soldier’s and return to the trenches, and then lead a squad to retrieve the wounded man. That, or the dog would stay and stand guard, barking to alert stretcher bearers the location of the soldier. The dog houses are of a massive construction, like fortified dugouts–I suspect that the camp was far enough front to be subject to bombardment. I’m not sure of the breeds there, but perhaps these are Bouvier des Flandres, or Briard? I can’t tell.
[Image greatly expandable.]
[Popular Mechanics, May, 1917, pg. 682.]