Dickin Medal Totally Explained

Everything about The Dickin Medal totally explained

The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a large bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue. Traditionally, the medal is presented by the Lord Mayor of the City of London. It has become recognised as "the animals' Victoria Cross". As of February 2008, it has been awarded 62 times. to restore the cemetery.

Partial list of winners

World War II era

1943: Winkie - first pigeon to be awarded the medal; flew 120 miles from a crashed bomber to deliver an SOS
1943: Ruhr Express - a messenger pigeon
1944: Commando - a messenger pigeon
1944: Paddy - messenger pigeon that made the fastest recorded crossing of the English Channel, delivering messages from Normandy for D-Day, travelling 230 miles in 4 hours 5 minutes.
1944: William of Orange used in Battle of Arnhem in September 1944 saving 2000 soldiers
1945: Rex - A rescue dog was officially recorded to have saved 65 people in London's flying bomb blitz.
1946: G.I. Joe - a messenger pigeon that saved many people's lives in World War II.
1946: Judy - the only animal to have been officially registered as a Japanese prisoner of war.
1947: Olga, Upstart and Regal - three police horses involved in incidents following German bombing raids in, the first two involving flying bombs and the third an attack involving explosive incendiaries
1949: Simon - the ship's cat on HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident, noted for surviving injuries from a cannon shell, raising morale and killing off a rat infestation during the incident, by doing this duty despite being wounded. Rank raised to "Able Seacat" and awarded campaign medal. The medal was sold by the Royal Navy and is now a valuable collectors item, partly because Simon has been the only cat to win the medal.

Modern era

2000: Gander - a Newfoundland dog serving with Canadian infantry in Hong Kong in 1941

2002: Salty and Roselle - guide dogs who separately led their owners to safety from the World Trade Center during the September 11 attacks

2002: Appollo - a search and rescue dog with the New York Police Department, as a representative of all such dogs who worked at the World Trade Center site and the Pentagon in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks

Disputed medal

Rob the SAS Dog 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.

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