Dickin Medal
From Freepedia
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It has become recognised as "the animals' VC".
Maria Dickin was the founder of the PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals), a United Kingdom veterinary charity, and set up the Medal as an award for any animal displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst serving with armed forces or civil emergency services.
Notable winners
- 1943: Ruhr Express - a messenger pigeon
- 1943: Winkie - first pigeon to be awarded the medal; flew 120 miles from a crashed bomber to deliver a SOS
- 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.
- 1946: G.I. Joe - a messenger pigeon that saved many people's lives in World War II.
- 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.
- 2000: Gander - a Newfoundland dog serving with Canadian infantry in Hong Kong in 1941
- 2002: Appollo - a search and rescue dog with the New York Police Department;
- 2002: Salty and Roselle - guide dogs at the World Trade Center
- 2003: Buster - a Royal Army Veterinary Corps search dog.
