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The Aim Of This Website Is To: |
 Raise awareness of the contribution animals made in the wars of human conflict.- To promote the spread of the Margaret Barker Memorial Wreath for Animals.
- To recognise the bravery taken and the sacrifice made by animals in wartime.
- To honour the companionship between man and animal, who worked, fought and died
together in times of conflict.
- To give credence and an enduring remembrance for their contribution.
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 One of Margaret Barker’s earliest and the most enduring memories is that of her beloved Joey, co-incidentally the same name as the horse in Michael Morpurgo’s novel “War Horse’’ As a young child Margaret helped to look after a battle weary war horse, who was one of the very few, to return home after World War 1. Joey was getting on in years by the time Margaret came into his life but as a young child Margaret bonded with this horse with an affection that stayed with her all her life. She tells of how, on Gala Days in Wakefield, she and her mum would dress Joey up with ribbons in his mane and tail, groom him till he shone and polished his hooves till “you could almost see yourself in them’’ Confident that Joey’s livery would see him through to win the “Best Presented Horse’’ Margaret entered Joey as a real contender. However he came second to another horse which, despite looking every bit as good as Joey,
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The glamour gone, some scattered graves and memories dim remain
With their old pals across a field, they'll never trek again
But yet there's nothing they regret as they await their call
For what was done or lost or won, they did their bit - that's all
Now as silent as the guns have fallen
Their tired hearts resting, closed eyes of loving grace
I ask in your quite thoughts of Honourable Remembrance
You allow them, the animals to take their long awaited place.
Please in the silence of the hour spare some thought for this forgotten army. |
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