British South African farmer Albert Marr owned a pet baboon named Jackie. When Marr was called up for service in 1915 for the World War One, he took the Jackie along. In no time at all Jackie became the mascot of the 3rd and 5th South African Infantry. Soldiers taught him to salute and smoke cigarettes.
Like every other dog face, he was issued a uniform, a ration set, and his own pay book, knife and fork, as well as his own washing basin. When the regiment was drilled and marched, Jackie drilled with them.
When Marr was serving in Egypt he was shot in the shoulder at the Battle of Agagia, in February of 1916, while Jackie was with him, licking the wound as they awaited help. Jackie himself was injured several times in combat including being shot in the shoulder when he was 4 years old. (Baboons can live up to 45 years)
During one very dangerous bit of trench warfare, officer reported that Jackie was seen building a wall of stones around himself for protection. Nonetheless a piece of shrapnel flew over his wall and hit his right leg, forcing Doctors to remove the leg.
When the war ended and Marr was discharged, (With official discharge papers) Jackie was officially promoted to the rank of corporal and given the Pretoria Citizens Service Medal. Jackie, returned to South Africa with Marr at wars end, and although he survived the battle the Delville Wood, early in the Somme Campaign, where the casualty rate was 80%, poor Jackie died in a house fire in May of 1921 only a year after returning to civilian life. Marr lived until he died aged 84, in 1973.
