Dickin Medal

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PDSA Dickin Medal
Dickin Medal.jpg
The PDSA Dickin Medal (obverse)
Awarded forConspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict.
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented by People's Dispensary for Sick Animals
First awarded1943;81 years ago (1943)
Website PDSA Dickin Medal
PDSA Dickin Medal BAR.svg
PDSA Dickin Medal service ribbon

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]

Contents

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, 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]

Recipients

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]

Rob the Collie, receiving his medal Rob para dog.jpg
Rob the Collie, receiving his medal
Dickin Medal and Certificate for the pigeon Royal Blue Dickins Medal for Pigeon Royal Blue.jpg
Dickin Medal and Certificate for the pigeon Royal Blue
Rip helped locate a number of victims of The Blitz. Rip Dicken Medal Dog IWM D 5937.jpg
Rip helped locate a number of victims of The Blitz.
Judy was a ship's dog on both HMS Gnat and HMS Grasshopper. Judy hu 42990.jpg
Judy was a ship's dog on both HMS Gnat and HMS Grasshopper.
William of Orange was awarded the medal in 1945 for delivering a message from Operation Market Garden. Pigeon William of Orange.JPG
William of Orange was awarded the medal in 1945 for delivering a message from Operation Market Garden.
Bing the ParaDog displayed with his Dickin Medal at the Imperial War Museum Duxford Airborne Assault3.JPG
Bing the ParaDog displayed with his Dickin Medal at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
Kuno showing his prosthetic hind leg Hero Military Working Dog awarded animals Victoria Cross MOD 45167434.jpg
Kuno showing his prosthetic hind leg
Recipient(s)AnimalDate of awardNotesRef(s)
White Vision Pigeon2 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 Pigeon2 December 1943Delivered a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in February 1942. [10]
[11]
[12]
Tyke Pigeon2 December 1943Delivered a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in June 1943. [13]
Bob Dog24 March 1944A mongrel, worked on patrol at Green Hill, North Africa; served with the 6th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. [12]
Beach Comber Pigeon1 September 1944Brought the first news of the landings at Dieppe in 1942; served with the Canadian Army. [12]
Gustav Pigeon1 September 1944Brought the first message from the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944. [11]
Paddy Pigeon1 September 1944Held best recorded time with a message from the Normandy Operations in June 1944. [14]
[15]
Rip Dog1945A mongrel, located many victims of the air raids of The Blitz. [16]
Jet Dog12 January 1945An Alsatian, [B] assisted in the rescue of people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. [7]
[12]
Irma Dog12 January 1945An Alsatian, [B] assisted in the rescue of people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. [7]
[17]
Beauty Dog12 January 1945A Wirehaired Terrier, assisted in the location of buried air-raid victims; served with a PDSA Rescue Squad. [7]
Rob Dog22 January 1945A Collie, made over 20 parachute descents during the North African Campaign; served with the Special Air Service (SAS). [A] [7]
[10]
[12]
Kenley Lass PigeonMarch 1945First 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 PigeonMarch 1945Although injured, delivered a message from a raiding party in France, June 1944. [13]
Flying Dutchman PigeonMarch 1945Delivered three messages from agents in the Netherlands; missing in action on the fourth mission in 1944. [13]
Dutch Coast PigeonMarch 1945Delivered an SOS message from a ditched aircrew 288 miles in 7.5 hours in April 1942. [12]
Commando PigeonMarch 1945Delivered three messages from agents in occupied France; served with the National Pigeon Service. [12]
Royal Blue PigeonMarch 1945First pigeon of the war to deliver a message from a forced landed aircraft on the Continent in October 1940. [13]
Thorn Dog2 March 1945An Alsatian, [B] located air-raid casualties in a burning building; served with the Civil Defence Service. [20]
Rifleman Khan Dog27 March 1945An 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 DogApril 1945An Alsatian, [B] located casualties in burning buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. [12]
Ruhr Express PigeonMay 1945Carried an important message from the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945. [13]
William of Orange PigeonMay 1945Held the record time for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation; served with the National Pigeon Service (Army). [21]
Scotch Lass PigeonJune 1945Brought 38 microphotographs across the North Sea from the Netherlands, despite injury, in September 1944. [13]
Sheila Dog2 July 1945A 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 PigeonAugust 1945Delivered a message from a bomber that had been force-landed in 1942. [13]
Broad Arrow PigeonOctober 1945Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). [13]
NPS.42.NS.2780 PigeonOctober 1945Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1942 and 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). [13]
NPS.42.NS.7524 PigeonOctober 1945Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1942 and 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). [13]
Maquis PigeonOctober 1945Brought three important messages from the Continent from 1943 and 1944; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). [13]
Mary of Exeter PigeonNovember 1945Showed outstanding endurance on war service despite injury. [8]
[12]
Peter DogNovember 1945A Collie, located people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. [7]
[17]
Tommy PigeonFebruary 1946Delivered a message from the Netherlands to Lancashire in July 1942; served with the National Pigeon Service. [13]
All Alone PigeonFebruary 1946Delivered an important message following a flight of over 400 miles in one day in August 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service. [13]
Judy DogMay 1946A pedigree Pointer, helped keep morale high among fellow prisoners in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. [12]
Princess PigeonMay 1946Completed a special mission to Crete, a journey of more than 500 miles over sea, with valuable information. [11]
Mercury PigeonAugust 1946Carried 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 PigeonAugust 1946Made three flights in 1941; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). [13]
G.I. Joe PigeonAugust 1946Flew 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 DogsNovember 1946 Boxers, saved two British officers in Palestine by attacking a nationalist. [23]
Cologne Pigeon1947 Homed from a crashed aircraft over Cologne despite injury in 1943. [11]
Duke of Normandy Pigeon8 January 1947First 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 Pigeon8 January 1947Fastest 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 PigeonFebruary 1947Brought 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 PigeonFebruary 1947Only 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 Dog29 March 1947A Welsh Collie, located mines along a canal bank at Nederweert in the Netherlands, despite being injured by one. [12]
Bing Dog29 March 1947An Alsatian, [B] parachuted into Normandy with 13th Battalion, 6th Airborne Division. [24]
Olga Horse11 April 1947Controlled traffic and assisted rescue operations following a flying bomb explosion in Tooting; served with the police. [7]
[12]
Upstart Horse11 April 1947Controlled traffic following a flying bomb exploding in Bethnal Green; served with the police. [7]
[12]
Regal Horse11 April 1947Remained calm despite being subject to stable fires in Muswell Hill caused by explosive incendiaries on two separate occasions. [7]
[12]
Simon CatAugust 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 Dog28 January 1949An 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 Dog1 July 1949A mongrel, awarded for courage and devotion between 1941–45; served with the 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps. [16]
Gander Dog27 October 2000A 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 Dog5 March 2002A 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 Dogs5 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 Dog14 January 2003A 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 Dog9 December 2003A Springer Spaniel, located a weapons arsenal in Safwan, Southern Iraq in March 2003; served with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. [10]
[12]
Lucky Dog6 February 2007A 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 Dog6 February 2007A 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 Dog24 February 2010A 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 Dog25 October 2012A 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 Dog29 April 2014A 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 Horse2 September 2014Honorary award to a First World War warhorse to commemorate the contributions of all animals during the conflict. [35]
Diesel Dog28 December 2015A 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 Dog5 April 2016A German Shepherd who worked with the United States Marine Corps for six years before losing a leg in an IED explosion. [37]
Reckless Horse28 July 2016A 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 Dog17 November 2017A 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 Dog15 January 2018A Husky crossbreed, for bravery and devotion to duty during the U.S. Army's invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. [40]
Kuga Dog26 October 2018A 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]
KunoDog29 August 2020A 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]
LeukDog23 April 2021A 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 Dog22 February 2022A German Shorthaired Pointer of the Royal Air Force Police for detecting electronic equipment during the war in Afghanistan. [44]
BassDog24 January 2023A Belgian Malinois of the US Marine Special Operation Command for his life-saving actions during a deployment in Afghanistan in 2019. [45]

See also

Animals
Honouring animals
Animals in war
Animals assisting veterans

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References

General
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  49. ↑ Stevens, Katrina (June 2002). The German Shepherd Dog: A Comprehensive Guide to Buying, Owning, and Training. Breed Basics. Willow Creek Press. p. 12. ISBN   978-1-57223-512-0. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2010.
  50. ↑ Mantellato, Lisa (2008). Getting to Know German Shepherds. Animal Info. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-921537-09-7. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2010.

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