War Horse is the 2011 feature film adaptation of Michael Morpurgo's novel of the same name. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film follows a young horse finds itself through a course of amazing events serving both the German and British armies during World War I. The title character was played by fourteen horses, with no CGI and little animatronics, all under the watchful eye of the American Humane Society. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture.
The following weapons were used in the film War Horse:
The Webley Mk VI is used by Sergeant Fry (Eddie Marsan) when he attempts to put down Joey at the end of the film. David Lyons (Robert Emms) is armed with one as well.
British troops during The Great War are armed with the Lee-Enfield No. 1 Mk III* Short Magazine Lee-Enfield (SMLE) rifle, including Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine).
German troops use Maxim MG08s to defend their camp during a British Calvary attack. The successful use of the MGs was a first hint in the movie about the demise of the cavalry in modern warfare.
A Mark IV tank makes a brief appearance in the film, to symbolize the changing face of warfare, making war horses like Joey obsolete. This Mark IV is actually a replica of a Mark IV owned by The Tank Museum (formerly the Bovington Tank Museum) built from a modern commercial excavator. The replica was later purchased by The Tank Museum to allow the museum to show a working Mark IV without risking damage to the actual Mark IV, which is almost a hundred years old.
The costume designers went above and beyond when it came to marking the passage of time by showing the evolution of German helmets.
Error creating thumbnail: File missingAt the start of the war, German troops were issued leather Pickelhaube helmets, which issued little protection against shrapnel.Error creating thumbnail: File missingEarly Stahlhelms had ventilator lugs built into them, which allowed an additional armor plate, the Stirnpanzer, to be attached. These were not popular as they were too heavy, and later versions of the Stahlhelm did away with the lugs.Error creating thumbnail: File missingWhite helmet covers started appearing in late 1916.Error creating thumbnail: File missingIn mid-1918, the Germans started painting camouflage on their helmets. Note that the shooter is also wearing plate body armor, which was issued along with the Stirnpanzer.
Pattern 1908/1912 Cavalry Sword
British Cavalry troopers and officers are armed with Pattern 1908 and 1912 Cavalry Swords, respectively. Like sidearms, NCOs and enlisted men were issued their sabres, while officers were expected to purchase their own. These were the last service swords issued by the British Army, and thus, remain in service today in a ceremonial role.
