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Dickin Medal

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Template:Short description Template:Use British English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox award

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.<ref name="pdsa"/> 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".<ref name=pdsa/> The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross".<ref name="pdsa">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=modtreo>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Template:As of, 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.<ref name="psda - medal">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

RecipientsEdit

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.<ref name=pdsa /> The most recent recipient is Bass, a Belgian Malinois who served with the US Marine Special Operation Command in Afghanistan.<ref name="psda - medal"/>

File:Rob para dog.jpg
Rob the Collie, receiving his medal
File:Dickins Medal for Pigeon Royal Blue.jpg
Dickin Medal and Certificate for the pigeon Royal Blue
File:Rip Dicken Medal Dog IWM D 5937.jpg
Rip helped locate a number of victims of The Blitz.
File:Judy hu 42990.jpg
Judy was a ship's dog on both HMS Gnat and HMS Grasshopper.
File:Pigeon William of Orange.JPG
William of Orange was awarded the medal in 1945 for delivering a message from Operation Market Garden.
File:Airborne Assault3.JPG
Bing the ParaDog displayed with his Dickin Medal at the Imperial War Museum Duxford
File:Hero Military Working Dog awarded animals Victoria Cross MOD 45167434.jpg
Kuno showing his prosthetic hind leg
Recipient(s) Animal Date of award Notes Ref(s)
White Vision Pigeon Template:Dts 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. <ref name=cnn>Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name=bbc2>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Winkie Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in February 1942. <ref name=bbc>Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name=indy>Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref name=iwm/>
Tyke Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in June 1943. <ref name=pdsapigeon>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Bob Template:Sort Template:Dts A mongrel, worked on patrol at Green Hill, North Africa; served with the 6th Battalion Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment. <ref name=iwm/>
Beach Comber Pigeon Template:Dts Brought the first news of the landings at Dieppe in 1942; served with the Canadian Army. <ref name=iwm>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Gustav Pigeon Template:Dts Brought the first message from the Normandy beaches on 6 June 1944. <ref name=indy/>
Paddy Pigeon Template:Dts Held best recorded time with a message from the Normandy Operations in June 1944. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rip Template:Sort Template:Dts A mongrel, located many victims of the air raids of The Blitz. <ref name=ilford/>
Jet Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[B] assisted in the rescue of people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Irma Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[B] assisted in the rescue of people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=indy2/>
Beauty Template:Sort Template:Dts A Wirehaired Terrier, assisted in the location of buried air-raid victims; served with a PDSA Rescue Squad. <ref name=cnn/>
Rob Template:Sort Template:Dts A Collie, made over 20 parachute descents during the North African Campaign; served with the Special Air Service (SAS).Template:Anchor[A] <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=bbc/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Kenley Lass Pigeon Template:Dts 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. <ref name=think>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Navy Blue Pigeon Template:Dts Although injured, delivered a message from a raiding party in France, June 1944. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Flying Dutchman Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered three messages from agents in the Netherlands; missing in action on the fourth mission in 1944. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Dutch Coast Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered an SOS message from a ditched aircrew 288 miles in 7.5 hours in April 1942. <ref name=iwm/>
Commando Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered three messages from agents in occupied France; served with the National Pigeon Service. <ref name=iwm/>
Royal Blue Pigeon Template:Dts First pigeon of the war to deliver a message from a forced landed aircraft on the Continent in October 1940. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Thorn Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[B] located air-raid casualties in a burning building; served with the Civil Defence Service. <ref name=pdsadogs>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Rifleman Khan Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[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. <ref name=pdsadogs/>
Rex Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[B] located casualties in burning buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. <ref name=iwm/>
Ruhr Express Pigeon Template:Dts Carried an important message from the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
William of Orange Pigeon Template:Dts Held the record time for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation; served with the National Pigeon Service (Army). <ref>Template:Cite magazineTemplate:VoidTemplate:Cbignore</ref>
Scotch Lass Pigeon Template:Dts Brought 38 microphotographs across the North Sea from the Netherlands, despite injury, in September 1944. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Sheila Template:Sort Template:Dts 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). <ref name=iwm/>
Billy Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered a message from a bomber that had been force-landed in 1942. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Broad Arrow Pigeon Template:Dts Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
NPS.42.NS.2780 Pigeon Template:Dts Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1942 and 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
NPS.42.NS.7524 Pigeon Template:Dts Brought three important messages from the Continent in 1942 and 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Maquis Pigeon Template:Dts Brought three important messages from the Continent from 1943 and 1944; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Mary of Exeter Pigeon Template:Dts Showed outstanding endurance on war service despite injury. <ref name=bbc2/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Peter Template:Sort Template:Dts A Collie, located people trapped under blitzed buildings; served with the Civil Defence Service. <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=indy2/>
Tommy Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered a message from the Netherlands to Lancashire in July 1942; served with the National Pigeon Service. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
All Alone Pigeon Template:Dts Delivered an important message following a flight of over 400 miles in one day in August 1943; served with the National Pigeon Service. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
Judy Template:Sort Template:Dts A pedigree Pointer, helped keep morale high among fellow prisoners in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp. <ref name=iwm/>
Princess Pigeon Template:Dts Completed a special mission to Crete, a journey of more than 500 miles over sea, with valuable information. <ref name=indy/>
Mercury Pigeon Template:Dts Carried out a special task involving a 480-mile flight from Northern Denmark in 1942; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

NURP.38.BPC.6 Pigeon Template:Dts Made three flights in 1941; served with the National Pigeon Service (Special Section). <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
G.I. Joe Pigeon Template:Dts 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. <ref name=indy/>
Punch and Judy Template:Sort Template:Dts Boxers, saved two British officers in Palestine by attacking a nationalist. <ref name=pdsadog>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Cologne Pigeon Template:Dts Homed from a crashed aircraft over Cologne despite injury in 1943. <ref name=indy/>
Duke of Normandy Pigeon Template:Dts First bird to arrive with message from paratroops of 21st Army Group on D Day (6 June 1944); served with the National Pigeon Service. <ref name=iwm/>
NURP.43.CC.1418 Pigeon Template:Dts Fastest flight carrying a message from the 6th Airborne Division from Normandy, 7 June 1944; served with the National Pigeon Service. <ref name=pdsapigeon/>
DD.43.T.139 Pigeon Template:Dts 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. <ref name=iwm/>
DD.43.Q.879 Pigeon Template:Dts 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. <ref name=think/>
Ricky Template:Sort Template:Dts A Welsh Collie, located mines along a canal bank at Nederweert in the Netherlands, despite being injured by one. <ref name=iwm/>
Bing Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[B] parachuted into Normandy with 13th Battalion, 6th Airborne Division. <ref name=paradatabrian>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Olga Horse Template:Dts Controlled traffic and assisted rescue operations following a flying bomb explosion in Tooting; served with the police. <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Upstart Horse Template:Dts Controlled traffic following a flying bomb exploding in Bethnal Green; served with the police. <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Regal Horse Template:Dts Remained calm despite being subject to stable fires in Muswell Hill caused by explosive incendiaries on two separate occasions. <ref name=cnn/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Simon Cat Template:Dts HMS AmethystTemplate:'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. <ref name=ilford/>
Antis Template:Sort Template:Dts An Alsatian,Template:Anchor[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. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Tich Template:Sort Template:Dts A mongrel, awarded for courage and devotion between 1941 and 1945; served with the 1st Battalion King's Royal Rifle Corps. <ref name=ilford>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Gander Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name=indy2>Template:Cite news</ref>
Apollo Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name=wtc/>
Salty and Roselle Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name=wtc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Sam Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Buster Template:Sort Template:Dts A Springer Spaniel, located a weapons arsenal in Safwan, Southern Iraq in March 2003; served with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment. <ref name=bbc/>
<ref name=iwm/>
Lucky Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Sadie Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Treo Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=treo>Template:Cite news</ref>
Theo Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name=theo>Template:Cite news</ref>
Sasha Template:Sort Template:Dts 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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

<ref name=guardiansasha>Template:Cite news</ref>
Warrior Horse Template:Dts Honorary award to a First World War warhorse to commemorate the contributions of all animals during the conflict. <ref name=warrior>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Diesel Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name=diesel>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Lucca Template:Sort Template:Dts A German Shepherd who worked with the United States Marine Corps for six years before losing a leg in an IED explosion. <ref name=lucca>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Sergeant Reckless Horse Template:Dts A Mongolian mare who held rank in the United States Marine Corps in the Korean War. On one day she made 51 solo trips to resupply multiple front line units. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Mali Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name="Rawlinson">Template:Cite news</ref>
Chips Template:Sort Template:Dts A Husky crossbreed, for bravery and devotion to duty during the U.S. Army's invasion of Sicily on 10 July 1943. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Kuga Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name= Kuga>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Kuno Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref name= Kuno>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Leuk Template:Sort Template:Dts 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. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Hertz Template:Sort Template:Dts A German Shorthaired Pointer of the Royal Air Force Police for detecting electronic equipment during the war in Afghanistan. <ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bass Template:Sort Template:Dts A Belgian Malinois of the US Marine Special Operation Command for his life-saving actions during a deployment in Afghanistan in 2019. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

}}</ref>

Template:Refbegin

  • A Template:Anchor^ Rob was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 for taking part in more than 20 parachute drops and for his involvement in operations behind enemy lines in Italy and North Africa during the Second World War. There is evidence that his record is a hoax concocted by the training officer at 2nd SAS at the time so that the dog would remain with the regiment.<ref name="Times">Template:Cite news

</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

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See alsoEdit

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Animals
Honouring animals
Animals in war
Animals assisting veterans
  • Bravehound – Scottish charity that supports former servicemen, women and their families, providing training and dogs to support veterans
  • Hounds for Heroes – British charity helping train and provide service dogs to wounded British Armed Forces and Emergency Services men and women

ReferencesEdit

General

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External linksEdit

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|CitationClass=web }} A documentary about pigeons involved in the Second World War, many of whom won the Dickin Medal

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