Britain’s most highly decorated mule

Jimson was the beloved mule mascot of 2nd Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment. He was 'awarded' medals for service in India and the Boer War.

 

Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902 awarded to Jimson the mule

 

Jimson was the proud recipient of the India Medal 1895-1902, as well as the two Boer War campaign medals. He remains the only mule to have been recognised in this way.

 

READ MORE ABOUT MULE MEDALS

 

A Mule’s Journey to the Combat Zone

Mules entered military service at the remount depots and received training, initially for a period of about four months, although this was shortened during the war. Prospective muleskinners also received training at these depots. Once training was complete, the mules were ready for shipment overseas. Accompanied by groups of muleskinners, the animals were sent via train to a transshipment point at Westwego, Louisiana. There, they were loaded aboard ships dedicated to transporting animals. These ships, called “floating barns,” carried the mules, handlers, and a three-month supply of fodder and water for the voyage to the combat zone.

 

One such ship was the converted Dutch freighter Tjinegara. It could carry 460 mules per voyage. The animals would be led up a loading ramp and taken to stalls below decks in the ship’s holds. Stalls were seven feet long and two and a half feet wide, complete with a water bucket and straw spread on the deck. Movable stalls were secured on the ship’s top deck. These were placed on the dock by crane and the mules loaded directly into them; then the entire stall was lifted onto the ship. Normally, about 5 percent of the available stalls were set aside to isolate sick animals from healthy ones. All care of the mules was provided by the accompanying mule skinners.

 

At sea, the mules were subject to the same problems humans faced. They needed to get their “sea legs” just as a person learnt to deal with the motion of a ship upon the open sea. Seasickness was also a common problem, although the animals usually recovered with no trouble. The skinners would regularly move the animals to give them some exercise and relief from the ship’s motion. In rough seas, the hapless beasts would be tossed around in their stalls, suffering concussions, broken bones, and bruises. Veterinarians aboard the ship treated the mules as best they could; those that died from sickness or injury were buried at sea.

 

Upon arrival at their destination, the mules would be offloaded. The animals often became uneasy about being led down the ramp, particularly if the ship was moving. A bell mare, a lead animal with a bell around its neck to make the other animals in a string follow it, would be used to guide them down the ramp. Unfortunately, some offloading sites were undeveloped, with no docks. In these cases, the ship would get as close to shore as possible before using winches to lower the mules to just above the waterline before dropping them into the water. From there, the mules could simply swim the short distance to the beach, instinctively heading toward it. The mule skinners would then return to the United States for another voyage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You do not need to own a mule to help just enthusiasm and a love for these wonderful long-eared equines. By supporting you will be helping the society to continue in its work of educating and promoting a better understanding of mules.