City hunt. Ferrets, terriers and rat hunters. In the grimy, war-torn streets of 1930s and 1940s England — particularly in industrial cities like London, Manchester, and Liverpool — the rat catcher (sometimes called “rat hunter” or “rat man”) was not merely a pest controller, but a vital public health officer. Amid economic depression, overcrowded slums, bomb-damaged buildings, and wartime food rationing, rats thrived. Their numbers exploded, threatening food supplies, spreading disease (notably bubonic plague and leptospirosis), and gnawing through infrastructure. Rat catchers were thus essential frontline workers in the battle for urban hygiene and survival. Why Ferrets? Ferrets were the rat catcher’s secret weapon. Agile, slender, and fearless, ferrets could slip into burrows, sewers, cellars, and rubble where rats nested — places too narrow or dangerous for humans or dogs. Once inside, they would flush rats out into the open, where dogs or traps awaited. Ferrets didn’t always kill the rats themselves; their role was primarily to *drive* them out. They were trained to return to their handler or stay near the exit, often wearing small bells or collars for tracking. Their natural hunting instinct, combined with trainability, made them indispensable — especially in bombed-out Blitz sites where rats colonized the ruins. Dog Breeds Used for Rat hunting. Rat catchers relied heavily on terriers — small, tenacious, and bred for vermin control. The most common breeds included: - Jack Russell Terrier – Agile, fearless, and tireless, ideal for chasing rats above and below ground. - Fox Terrier (Smooth and Wire-haired) – Fast and sharp-eyed, used for flushing and killing. - Bull Terrier (Miniature) – Strong-jawed and muscular, capable of dispatching larger rats quickly. - Bedlington Terrier – Surprisingly fast and lethal, with a lamb-like appearance belying its ferocity. - Lakeland Terrier & Border Terrier – Hardy breeds used in tougher urban and semi-rural environments. These dogs worked in tandem with ferrets: while ferrets drove rats from hiding, the dogs would corner, catch, and kill them — often with astonishing speed. A good ratting dog could dispatch dozens of rats in a single outing. Rat hunters Earnings and Working Conditions Rat catchers were typically paid per rat — often a few pence each — or received a small weekly wage from municipal councils or private contracts. In the 1930s, earnings might range from £1 to £3 per week, depending on location and employer. During the war, some were employed directly by the Ministry of Health or local authorities, with slightly better pay and protective gear. It was grueling, dangerous, and malodorous work. Rat catchers crawled through sewers, scaled bombed-out buildings, and risked bites, disease, and collapsing structures. Many wore heavy boots, leather gloves, and sometimes gas masks in particularly foul environments. Despite the risks, it was steady work — rats, after all, were recession- and war-proof. Why Was It Important? Urban Hunting Defined Rat catching was critical for three main reasons: 1. Public Health – Rats carried deadly diseases. Controlling their populations helped prevent epidemics. 2. Food Security – With rationing in place, every ounce of food mattered. Rats consumed and contaminated tons of food. 3. Morale & Infrastructure – Rats undermined morale and gnawed through electrical wires, wooden beams, and even gas lines — a serious fire and safety hazard. This profession can rightly be called “urban hunter” — not for sport or sustenance, but for civic survival. Unlike rural hunting, it took place in alleyways, basements, tube stations, and rubble-strewn streets. The quarry was not deer or pheasant, but an intelligent, prolific, disease-ridden foe thriving in the shadows of civilization. The tools were not rifles but nets, traps, dogs, and ferrets — and the battleground was the city itself. The Famous Photograph: Jim Fortey and Alf Greenwin at South Tottenham Station, September 1941. One of the most iconic images of British wartime life was captured by photojournalist Bert Hardy in September 1941. The black-and-white photograph shows two London rat catchers — **Jim Fortey and Alf Greenwin** — standing proudly beside their tools of trade at South Tottenham Station. They are dressed in worn work clothes: flat caps, heavy jackets, and sturdy boots. Between them are stacked wooden and wire cages containing alert, bright-eyed ferrets. At their feet sit two terriers — likely Jack Russells or similar — poised and ready. The men’s expressions are calm, almost stoic; they look like tradesmen who know the value of their grim work. The setting is not rural or pastoral, but unmistakably urban, industrial, and war-torn. The image encapsulates the quiet heroism of civilian workers on the Home Front — not soldiers, but guardians of public health in a city under siege from both bombs and vermin. Hardy’s composition is deliberate: the symmetry of the men, the cages, the waiting dogs — it’s almost a portrait of professionalism amid chaos. The photograph was published in *Picture Post*, Britain’s most popular photo magazine, and helped elevate the rat catcher from a shadowy figure to a symbol of resilience. Rat Hunters Legacy By the late 1940s, modern rodenticides, improved sanitation, and rebuilding efforts reduced the need for traditional rat catchers. The profession faded, replaced by pest control companies and poison baits. But in the 1930-40s, men like Fortey and Greenwin were unsung urban hunters — protecting cities not with guns or fire hoses, but with ferrets, terriers, and sheer grit. Even the most humble professions can be heroic — and that sometimes, the fiercest battles are fought not on battlefields, but in basements, sewer, and railway stations, with a terrier at your heel and a ferret in your pocket. https://m.uh.app/news/rat-hunter-dogs-ratters-during-the-first-world-war-terriers-were_KnziwKqDEe-Dsht7k2Ti7A
Post: 22 September 20:04
