New Exhibition on Animals in the Great War

An exhibition titled "Poilus: The Story of Cats and Dogs in the Great War" is currently on display at the Mémorial 14-18 Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, located in Souchez, Pas-de-Calais. This initiative sheds light on a less explored aspect of the First World War: the presence and role of animals alongside soldiers.

Images of the Great War often evoke devastated battlefields and the faces of combatants. However, this exhibition reveals, through photographs and archival films, the constant and discreet presence of dogs and cats, companions to men both in the trenches and behind the front lines.

The Mémorial 14-18 Notre-Dame-de-Lorette thus offers an immersion into this little-known history, enriched by testimonies. The exhibition provides a different perspective on daily life and the bonds forged during the conflict, recalling the importance of animals in extreme circumstances.

This museum approach contributes to the enrichment of collective memory by acknowledging the place of these silent "Poilus," involuntary but significant actors of this historical period.