The donkey who delivered Shrewsbury’s Christmas post

Over the Christmas period in 1941, an army donkey was taken off her usual duties and given a special task.

Four year-old Jessie, along with her handler Pte Taffy Ellis, were assigned the role of delivering the festive post to residents of Shrewsbury, to help clear a backlog of mail.

Using her cart, which she usually used to transport soldier’s kit bags across the town, Jessie picked up sacks of letters from the Royal Mail sorting office and got to work.

“She would have been an ideal Santa’s little helper, because donkeys are capable of carrying heavy loads relative to their size and their ability for quick changes in speed,” said Dr Robert MacKinnon, from the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum.

Pte Ellis trained Jessie for her kit-carrying role at the start of the war, Dr MacKinnon said.

“She would not leave for work until consuming a grass roll, and had shaken herself into a comfortable roughness, meaning she had prepared her body for the day ahead,” he added.

Jessie retired from the army in 1946 and was adopted by Lady Sybil Grant. She spent her remaining years at Pitchford Hall near Shrewsbury.

Lady Sybil had painted Jessie for the Copthorne army barracks in Shrewsbury.

This painting, along with a photograph of Jessie and her handler, now reside at the Soldiers of Shropshire museum.

“Donkeys across time and cultures have regularly been characterised unjustly and have received little recognition for their vital services rendered to us humans,” said Dr MacKinnon.

“For example, donkeys have frequently been labelled stupid and associated with backwardness and poverty, this has had harmful effects.

“Thankfully, by all accounts Jessie was treated very well at the military training centre where she was based and not only by Private Ellis, but by other soldiers.”