PDSA Dickin Medal | |
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Awarded for | Conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict. |
Country | United Kingdom |
Presented by | People's Dispensary for Sick Animals |
First awarded | 1943 |
Website | PDSA Dickin Medal |
The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown, and pale blue. [1] It is awarded to animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units". [1] The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross". [1] [2] [3]
Maria Dickin was the founder of the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a British veterinary charity. She established the award for any animal displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst serving with British Empire armed forces or civil emergency services. The medal was awarded 54 times between 1943 and 1949 – to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses, and a ship's cat – to acknowledge actions of gallantry or devotion during the Second World War and subsequent conflicts.
The awarding of the medal was revived in 2000. In December 2007, 12 former recipients buried at the PDSA Animal Cemetery in Ilford, Essex, Greater London, were afforded full military honours at the conclusion of a National Lottery-aided project to restore the cemetery. [4] [5]
As of January 2023 [update] , the Dickin Medal has been awarded 74 times, plus one honorary award made in 2014 to all the animals who served in the First World War. [6]
The first recipients of the award, in December 1943, were three pigeons serving with the Royal Air Force who contributed to the recovery of aircrews from ditched aircraft. [1] The most recent recipient is Bass, a Belgian Malinois who served with the US Marine Special Operation Command in Afghanistan. [6]
Recipient(s) | Animal | Date of award | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
White Vision | Pigeon | 2 December 1943 | Delivered a message that led to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in October 1943. She flew 9 hours in bad visibility and heavy weather with strong headwinds. | [7] [8] [9] |
Winkie | Pigeon | 2 December 1943 | Delivered a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in February 1942. | [10] [11] [12] |
Tyke | Pigeon | 2 December 1943 | Delivered a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in June 1943. | [13] |
Bob | Dog | 24 March 1944 | A mongrel, worked on patrol at Green Hill, North Africa; served with the 6th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. | [12] |
Beach Comber | Pigeon | 1 September 1944 | Brought the first news of the landings at Dieppe in 1942; served with the Canadian Army. | [12] |
Gustav | Pigeon | 1 September 1944 | Brought the first message from the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944. | [11] |
Paddy | Pigeon | 1 September 1944 | Held best recorded time with a message from the Normandy Operations in June 1944. | [14] [15] |
Rip | Dog | 1945 | A mongrel, located many victims of the air raids of The Blitz. | [16] |
Jet | Dog | 12 January 1945 | An Alsatian, [B] assisted in the rescue of people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. | [7] [12] |
Irma | Dog | 12 January 1945 | An Alsatian, [B] assisted in the rescue of people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. | [7] [17] |
Beauty | Dog | 12 January 1945 | A Wirehaired Terrier, assisted in the location of buried air-raid victims; served with a PDSA Rescue Squad. | [7] |
Rob | Dog | 22 January 1945 | A Collie, made over 20 parachute descents during the North African Campaign; served with the Special Air Service (SAS). [A] | [7] [10] [12] |
Kenley Lass | Pigeon | March 1945 | First pigeon to deliver intelligence from an agent in enemy-occupied France in October 1940; served with the National Pigeon Service. She was parachuted with the agent and released 12 days later to fly 300 miles back to home in less than 7 hours. | [18] [19] |
Navy Blue | Pigeon | March 1945 | Although injured, delivered a message from a raiding party in France, June 1944. | [13] |
Flying Dutchman | Pigeon | March 1945 | Delivered three messages from agents in the Netherlands; missing in action on the fourth mission in 1944. | [13] |
Dutch Coast | Pigeon | March 1945 | Delivered an SOS message from a ditched aircrew 288 miles in 7.5 hours in April 1942. | [12] |
Commando | Pigeon | March 1945 | Delivered three messages from agents in occupied France; served with the National Pigeon Service. | [12] |
Royal Blue | Pigeon | March 1945 | First pigeon of the war to deliver a message from a forced landed aircraft on the Continent in October 1940. | [13] |
Thorn | Dog | 2 March 1945 | An Alsatian, [B] located air-raid casualties in a burning building; served with the Civil Defence Service. | [20] |
Rifleman Khan | Dog | 27 March 1945 | An Alsatian, [B] rescued a soldier from drowning while under heavy shell fire during the assault of Walcheren in November 1944; served with the 6th Battalion Cameronians. | [20] |
Rex | Dog | April 1945 | An Alsatian, [B] located casualties in burning buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. | [12] |
Ruhr Express | Pigeon | May 1945 | Carried an important message from the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945. | [13] |
William of Orange | Pigeon | May 1945 | Held the record time for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation; served with the National Pigeon Service (Army). | [21] |
Scotch Lass | Pigeon | June 1945 | Brought 38 microphotographs across the North Sea from the Netherlands, despite injury, in September 1944. | [13] |
Sheila | Dog | 2 July 1945 | A Collie, assisted in the rescue of four American airmen lost on the Cheviot Hills in a blizzard after a crash in December 1944 (first civilian animal to be awarded). | [12] |
Billy | Pigeon | August 1945 | Delivered a message from a bomber that had been force-landed in 1942. | [13] |
Broad Arrow | Pigeon | October 1945 | Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). | [13] |
NPS.42.NS.2780 | Pigeon | October 1945 | Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1942 and 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). | [13] |
NPS.42.NS.7524 | Pigeon | October 1945 | Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1942 and 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). | [13] |
Maquis | Pigeon | October 1945 | Brought three important messages from the Continent from 1943 and 1944; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). | [13] |
Mary of Exeter | Pigeon | November 1945 | Showed outstanding endurance on war service despite injury. | [8] [12] |
Peter | Dog | November 1945 | A Collie, located people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. | [7] [17] |
Tommy | Pigeon | February 1946 | Delivered a message from the Netherlands to Lancashire in July 1942; served with the National Pigeon Service. | [13] |
All Alone | Pigeon | February 1946 | Delivered an important message following a flight of over 400 miles in one day in August 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service. | [13] |
Judy | Dog | May 1946 | A pedigree Pointer, helped keep morale high among fellow prisoners in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. | [12] |
Princess | Pigeon | May 1946 | Completed a special mission to Crete, a journey of more than 500 miles over sea, with valuable information. | [11] |
Mercury | Pigeon | August 1946 | Carried out a special task involving a 480-mile flight from Northern Denmark in 1942; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). | [22] |
NURP.38.BPC.6 | Pigeon | August 1946 | Made three flights in 1941; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). | [13] |
G.I. Joe | Pigeon | August 1946 | Flew 20 miles in as many minutes, delivering a message that is credited with saving at least 100 lives; served with the United States Army Pigeon Service. | [11] |
Punch and Judy | Dogs | November 1946 | Boxers, saved two British officers in Palestine by attacking a nationalist. | [23] |
Cologne | Pigeon | 1947 | Homed from a crashed aircraft over Cologne despite injury in 1943. | [11] |
Duke of Normandy | Pigeon | 8 January 1947 | First bird to arrive with message from paratroops of 21st Army Group on D Day (6 June 1944); served with the National Pigeon Service. | [12] |
NURP.43.CC.1418 | Pigeon | 8 January 1947 | Fastest flight carrying a message from the 6th Airborne Division from Normandy, 7 June 1944; served with the National Pigeon Service. | [13] |
DD.43.T.139 | Pigeon | February 1947 | Brought message of foundered ship in the Huon Gulf in time to salvage it and its cargo; served with the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. | [12] |
DD.43.Q.879 | Pigeon | February 1947 | Only survivor of three pigeons released to warn of an impending counter-attack at Manus Island. Reached headquarters in time to extract a US Marine Corps patrol; served with the Royal Australian Corps of Signals. | [18] |
Ricky | Dog | 29 March 1947 | A Welsh Collie, located mines along a canal bank at Nederweert in the Netherlands, despite being injured by one. | [12] |
Bing | Dog | 29 March 1947 | An Alsatian, [B] parachuted into Normandy with 13th Battalion, 6th Airborne Division. | [24] |
Olga | Horse | 11 April 1947 | Controlled traffic and assisted rescue operations following a flying bomb explosion in Tooting; served with the police. | [7] [12] |
Upstart | Horse | 11 April 1947 | Controlled traffic following a flying bomb exploding in Bethnal Green; served with the police. | [7] [12] |
Regal | Horse | 11 April 1947 | Remained calm despite being subject to stable fires in Muswell Hill caused by explosive incendiaries on two separate occasions. | [7] [12] |
Simon | Cat | August 1949 | HMS Amethyst 's ship's cat, awarded for "gallantry under fire" and for the disposal of many rats despite shrapnel injuries during the Yangtze Incident in 1949. He remains the only cat to ever receive the award. | [16] |
Antis | Dog | 28 January 1949 | An Alsatian, [B] served with Václav Robert Bozděch, a Czech airman, in the French Air Force and in the No. 311 (Czechoslovak) Squadron RAF in Britain, and helped his master escape after the death of Jan Masaryk. | [25] |
Tich | Dog | 1 July 1949 | A mongrel, awarded for courage and devotion between 1941 and 1945; served with the 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps. | [16] |
Gander | Dog | 27 October 2000 | A Newfoundland, saved Canadian infantrymen on at least three separate occasions during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941; killed in action gathering a grenade. | [17] |
Apollo | Dog | 5 March 2002 | A German Shepherd, received the award on behalf of all search-and-rescue dogs who assisted in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in 2001. | [26] |
Salty and Roselle | Dogs | 5 March 2002 | Labrador guide dogs, led their blind owners down more than 70 flights of stairs to escape from the damaged World Trade Center in September 2001. | [26] |
Sam | Dog | 14 January 2003 | A German Shepherd, brought down an armed man and held back rioters while serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina in April 1998; served with The Royal Canadian Regiment on assignment from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. | [27] |
Buster | Dog | 9 December 2003 | A Springer Spaniel, located a weapons arsenal in Safwan, Southern Iraq in March 2003; served with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. | [10] [12] |
Lucky | Dog | 6 February 2007 | A German Shepherd, the only member of a four-dog team to survive tracking nationalists in Malaya from 1949 to 1952; served with the Royal Air Force Police. | [28] |
Sadie | Dog | 6 February 2007 | A Labrador, detected explosive devices, which were subsequently disarmed, while serving in Kabul, Afghanistan, in November 2005; served with the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment. | [29] |
Treo | Dog | 24 February 2010 | A Labrador-Spaniel crossbreed, located improvised explosive devices while serving in Helmand Province, Afghanistan in August and September 2008; served with Royal Army Veterinary Corps. | [30] [31] |
Theo | Dog | 25 October 2012 | A Springer Spaniel, who located improvised explosive devices while serving in Afghanistan; holds the record for most operational finds by an arms and explosives search dog with 14. Died from an apparent seizure after his handler was killed by enemy fire earlier that day. | [32] |
Sasha | Dog | 29 April 2014 | A Labrador who located 15 improvised explosive devices, mortars, mines, and weapons while serving in Afghanistan, with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. In July 2008 Sasha and her handler were killed in a Taliban ambush by a rocket-propelled grenade. [33] | [34] |
Warrior | Horse | 2 September 2014 | Honorary award to a First World War warhorse to commemorate the contributions of all animals during the conflict. | [35] |
Diesel | Dog | 28 December 2015 | A Belgian Malinois RAID assault dog employed by the French police who was killed by suspected terrorists in the 2015 Saint-Denis raid on 18 November 2015 in Paris. | [36] |
Lucca | Dog | 5 April 2016 | A German Shepherd who worked with the United States Marine Corps for six years before losing a leg in an IED explosion. | [37] |
Reckless | Horse | 28 July 2016 | A Mongolian mare who worked with the United States Marine Corps in the Korean War. On one day she made 51 solo trips to resupply multiple front line units. | [38] |
Mali | Dog | 17 November 2017 | A Belgian Malinois who worked with the Special Boat Service in Afghanistan in 2012. During an 8-hour assault against a Taliban position, the dog indicated the locations of enemy combatants, despite being injured three times by grenade explosions. | [39] |
Chips | Dog | 15 January 2018 | A Husky crossbreed, for bravery and devotion to duty during the U.S. Army's invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. | [40] |
Kuga | Dog | 26 October 2018 | A Belgian Malinois, for actions during an Australian Special Operations Task Group patrol in Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. Kuga, who was shot five times during the action, served with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) from 2008 until his death from wounds in 2012. | [41] |
Kuno | Dog | 29 August 2020 | A Belgian Malinois, for courage under fire during a Special Boat Service raid against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. When forces were pinned down by grenade and machine-gun fire, Kuno was sent in wearing night-vision goggles to attack the gunman, and wrestled him to the ground despite being shot in both hind legs. The injuries he sustained required part of one of his hind paws to be amputated, and he received a prosthesis to replace it after his return to Britain. | [42] |
Leuk | Dog | 23 April 2021 | A Belgian Malinois of the French Special Forces, for courage and playing a key role during anti-terrorist operations, and for saving the lives of his handler and colleagues. | [43] |
Hertz | Dog | 22 February 2022 | A German Shorthaired Pointer of the Royal Air Force Police for detecting electronic equipment during the war in Afghanistan. | [44] |
Bass | Dog | 24 January 2023 | A Belgian Malinois of the US Marine Special Operation Command for his life-saving actions during a deployment in Afghanistan in 2019. | [45] |
The PDSA Gold Medal is an animal bravery award that acknowledges the bravery and devotion to duty of animals. It was created by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) in 2001, and is now recognised as the animal equivalent of the George Cross. The Gold Medal is considered as the civilian equivalent to PDSA's Dickin Medal for military animals. An animal can be awarded the PDSA Gold Medal if it assists in saving human or non-human life when its own life is in danger or through exceptional devotion to duty. The medal can also be awarded to animals in public service, such as police or rescue dogs, if the animal dies or suffers serious injury while carrying out its official duties in the face of armed and violent opposition.
Sadie, (1996–2019), a black Labrador Retriever, was a recipient of the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. She was awarded for detecting an explosive device outside the United Nations headquarters in Kabul in November 2005, and was awarded by Princess Alexandra on 6 February 2007. Her handler at the time of the action which resulted in the award was Lance Corporal Karen Yardley.
Apollo was a search and rescue dog who served with the K-9 unit of the New York Police Department. He was awarded the Dickin Medal, the animals' equivalent of the Victoria Cross, in recognition of the work done by all search and rescue dogs following the September 11 attacks. Apollo and his handler were working at the World Trade Center site soon after the attacks.
Sam was an army dog who served with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps Dog Unit. While serving in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the 1990s, Sam helped to apprehend an armed man and also to hold back an armed mob besieging a compound where Serbs were taking refuge. He received the Dickin Medal, the animals' equivalent of the Victoria Cross, in 2003 for these acts of bravery.
Treo was a black Labrador Retriever-English Springer Spaniel crossbreed and a retired Arms and Explosives Search dog with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps. He was awarded the Dickin Medal in February 2010. The military nominated Treo for the award in recognition of his help uncovering a number of improvised explosive devices (IED) during his time serving in Helmand Province, an insurgency hot spot, in 2008. Treo was the medal's 63rd recipient.
Jet of Iada a.k.a. Jet was a German Shepherd Dog, who assisted in the rescue of 150 people trapped under blitzed buildings. He was a pedigree dog born in Liverpool, and served with the Civil Defence Services of London. He was awarded both the Dickin Medal and the RSPCA's Medallion of Valor for his rescue efforts.
Crumstone Irma, a.k.a. Irma, was a German Shepherd Dog who assisted in the rescue of 191 people trapped under blitzed buildings while serving with London's Civil Defence Services during the Second World War. During this period she worked with her handler and owner, Mrs Margaret Griffin, and another dog named Psyche. Noted for her ability to tell if buried victims were dead or alive, she was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945, and is buried at the PDSA Animal Cemetery, Ilford.
Rip, a mixed-breed terrier, was a Second World War search and rescue dog who was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in 1945. He was found in Poplar, London, in 1940 by an Air Raid warden, and became the service's first search and rescue dog. He is credited with saving the lives of over 100 people. He was the first of twelve Dickin Medal winners to be buried in the PDSA's cemetery in Ilford, Essex.
Buster, an English Springer Spaniel, was a military detection dog who was active during the Iraq War. Because of his actions in discovering a hidden weapons cache, the dog was credited with saving service personnel from insurgents operating in the southern Iraqi town of Safwan. He was awarded the Dickin Medal, referred to as being the animals' Victoria Cross.
Ilford Animal Cemetery is an animal cemetery in Ilford in London, England, United Kingdom that contains over three thousand burials. It was founded in the 1920s and is operated by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. The cemetery was closed to new burials in the 1960s and gradually became neglected and overgrown before a £50,000 grant from the National Lottery led to its reopening.
Beauty, a wirehaired terrier, was a Second World War search and rescue dog considered to be the first rescue dog, who was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in 1945. She is among a number of Dickin Medal winners who are buried in Ilford Animal Cemetery.
Peter (1941–1952) was a collie dog who in 1945 was awarded the Dickin Medal, considered to be the Victoria Cross for animals. During the later stages of the Second World War he served as a search and rescue dog in London. He attended the 1946 Civil Defence Stand–Down parade, where he was presented to the King and Queen, and Princess Elizabeth. His medal was auctioned in 2000 for £4,600 (US$6,964).
Tich (1940–1959) was a military dog during the Second World War. She was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1949 for her actions during the war as a battalion mascot to the King's Royal Rifle Corps. After the war she lived with her battalion handler at his home in the UK. When she died she was buried in the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA)'s Ilford Animal Cemetery.
Theo DM (2009–2011), was an English Springer Spaniel who served as a bomb detection dog for the British Army whilst stationed in Afghanistan. His handler, Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, was killed in March 2011, and Theo died within hours, following a seizure. The pair had set a new record for bomb finds during their time on deployment. Theo was awarded the Dickin Medal, also known as the animals' Victoria Cross, in 2012.
Bob was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 1944 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service during the Second World War.
Sheila was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 1945 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service during the Second World War. She is the first non-military dog to have received the medal, which was later sold at auction alongside the medals of her owner, John Dagg, for £25,300 by Sotheby's.
Ricky was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 1947 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service during the Second World War.
Lucky was a dog who received the Dickin Medal in 2007 from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals for bravery in service during the Malayan Emergency.
Sasha DM (2004–2008) was a Labrador Retriever who served as a bomb detection dog for the British Army whilst stationed in Afghanistan. Sasha and her handler, Lance Corporal Kenneth Rowe, were killed in July 2008. Sasha was awarded the Dickin Medal, also known as the animals' Victoria Cross, in 2014.
Lucca was a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois service dog who was employed by the United States Marine Corps for 6 years. She was trained to detect explosives. She was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. In her over 400 missions, no human fatalities occurred under her watch. In 2012, while on patrol in Afghanistan, she was injured by an IED blast, necessitating the amputation of her left leg. After recovering at Camp Pendleton, Lucca officially retired in 2012 and was adopted by her original handler, Gunnery Sergeant Chris Willingham.