Yes, they have ferret mascots in the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment (which is nicknamed the Yorkshire Warriors)!

To that I say HUZZAH!!! How cool is that? And how wonderful that the English Army is happy to have such magnificent animals as their mascots :D

I’ve talked about the two ferrets, always called Quebec and Imphal, a couple of times in this blog – one post was about Ferrets and Soldiers written a couple of years ago, and the other, entitled Museum Honours Dogs and Ferrets of War was from a story I found way back in 2006.

Now I found another story about this dynamic duo. Their regiment was sent to Münster, Germany, in September 2008 and, of course, they went over with the soldiers.

And there was also another story about how, for the Queen’s birthday, the Yorkshire Regiment was presented with a cake and the ferrets were there for the ceremony! I think that’s great PR for our gorgeous pets :D

FerretForce

Apparently they have a cage which is outside the 1 Yorks guard room in Oxford Barracks. I do hope it’s a big cage! LOL! I’m sure it is and I would like to think that the Ministry of Defence would do everything in their power to make sure the ferrets under their care are looked after extremely well ;)

It seems that two ferrets were donated to the Yorkshire Regiment by grateful people in their home county during the late 19th/early 20th century and the Regiment has always kept two male ferrets as mascots. There is a thought that during World War I, soldiers kept animals and ferrets *might* (this is unconfirmed) have been kept to hunt rabbits to substitute their food supply.

Nowadays, both Quebec and Imphal are involved in Battalion life, taking part in parades and even wearing their own uniforms in regimental colours.

ferretsforce

They are looked after by the Provost Staff in the Battalion’s Guard Room.

All I can say to the English Army is ONYA!

Good on ya for having ferrets as mascots and good on ya for looking after them so well. I am impressed … and this is from an (ex) English Naval Officer’s wife ;) – LOL!!

Wish more Army regiments would have ferret mascots :D

All pictures are copyright Cpl J P Williams

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Filed under: Ferret Oddities • Ferrets as Pets

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