Animals in War Memorial

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The Animals in War Memorial

The Animals in War Memorial is located at Brook Gate, Park Lane, on the edge of London’s Hyde Park and was designed by leading English sculptor, David Backhouse. Unveiled on the 24th of November, 2004 by the Princess Royal, it exists as a memorial to the huge number of non-human animals that have served and died under British military command throughout history. Beneath the main header: "Animals in War", the memorial has two separate inscriptions, the first and larger reading:

Image showing the inscriptions on the memorial.

"This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time."

The second, smaller inscription simply reads:

"They had no choice."

The memorial was inspired by Jilly Cooper's book, Animals in War, and was made possible by a specially set up fund of £1,400,000 from public donations of which Jilly Cooper was a co-trustee. The memorial consists of a 55ft by 58ft curved Portland stone wall: the symbolic arena of war ^[1], emblazened with images of various struggling animals, along with two heavily laden bronze mules progressing up the stairs of the monument, and a bronze horse and bronze dog beyond it looking into the distance.