I found this on the Aust. Light Horse Forum and thought our members may like to read it. First World War.com - Feature Articles - The Forgotten Army John
There's an article in the latest Wartime about the fate of the Australian horses after their riders returned home. I think it's titled They Were Shot Weren't They? which alludes to the rumour that was spread. I haven't read it yet but will endeavour to scan and post here. Wartime is surprisingly affordable considering the great read it provides. Very WWI oriented at present which is understandable.
Perhaps the worst fate befell the horses sent across the Atlantic, several hundred to a vessel, if the ship was attacked by a German submarine (or wrecked in bad weather, still a significant risk. Not only would they drown en masse, but in the early days of the war, pre-convoys, the Germans would save torpedoes by sinking cargo vessels with gunfire. Of course there was no way of telling if their target was a horse carrier, and the effect of shells exploding in the holds defies imagination. An example was when the horse carrier SS Anglo Columbian with 800 horses on board was attacked by KapitanLeutnant Claus Hansen in U41 on 23/9/15. In this case, he ordered the crew to take to the boats and bring the cargo manifest, and when he realised that the ship was carrying horses he used a torpedo to ensure the ship sank quickly. Unfortunately, the U41's crew received rather less charitable treatment a few days later when they were sunk by the Q-ship Baralong in controversial circumstances.
Thanks for that! Our family is very much an "Equestrian Family" and the link of the military and the horses is often discussed. Facts over fiction are most appreciated.
