All you need to know about the purple poppy, including why and when it’s worn
Why are purple poppies sometimes worn?
Ever since John McCrae wrote his famous poem In Flanders Fields, the red poppy has been a symbol of remembrance for the fallen. However, today many will also be wearing a purple poppy on remembrance days – here’s why...
What does a purple poppy mean?
To commemorate the animals that served during conflicts – often the forgotten victims of war – the charity Animal Aid created the purple poppy in 2006.
Approximately eight million horses, mules and donkeys, one million dogs and countless pigeons died during the First World War alone, with countless other millions in WW2 and other conflicts.
When is purple poppy day?
Although countries in the Commonwealth continued to use the purple poppy, it wasn’t until three years later that it was reintroduced in the UK to be a symbol for National War Animal Day, chosen as August 23 to coincide with the Battle of Mons in 1914.
How have animals been used in wars?
It was at the Battle of Mons that horses were first involved in the First World War, in a British cavalry attack against the Germans. It was also the last cavalry charge on the Western Front.
The story of animals used in wars has never been fully told, but historians tell us that without them, it’s unlikely we would be enjoying the freedom we know today.
For example, horses, mules, donkeys and oxen were used for heavy labour throughout the First and Second World Wars. They would be used in the construction of roads and railways, or to carry heavy munitions and the wounded to safety.
- The real ‘War Horse’: Discover the harrowing story and the true horrors of horses on the front line of WWI
- British animal war heroes: We pay tribute to the brave animals that served alongside our troops in times of conflict
Dogs were used to carry messages on their backs along trenches too narrow for men to navigate, and cats were sent abroad to kill the rats that infested those trenches.
Ahead of D-Day, dogs like Woody (top image) were parachuted in with the brave airmen to sniff out mines and explosives and pigeons carried messages under enemy lines which resulted in many lives saved.