War Dogs

Antis a war dog who protected soldiers from bomb drops in Berlin.

Bamse, a Saint Bernard, was a symbol of the Free Norwegian Forces in World War II.
Bamse lifted the morale of the ship’s crew, and became well known to the local civilian population. In battle, he would stand on the front gun tower of the boat, and the crew made him a special metal helmet. His acts of heroism included saving a young lieutenant commander who had been attacked by a man wielding a knife by pushing the assailant into the sea, and dragging back to shore a sailor who had fallen overboard.

Chesty, one of a family of Bulldogs, serving as the official mascot of Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.

These dogs are actually enlisted in the US Marine Corps, most attaining the rank of Corporal.

Chips the dog was a hero wardog of World War II. He served with the 3rd Infantry Division in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. His handler was Pvt. John P. Rowell. Chips served as a sentry dog for the Roosevelt-Churchill conference in 1943. Later that year, during the invasion of Sicily, Chips and his handler were pinned down on the beach by an Italian machine-gun team. Chips broke from his handler and jumped into the pillbox, attacking the gunners. The four crewmen were forced to leave the pillbox and surrendered to US troops. In the fight he sustained a scalp wound and powder burns. Later that day, he helped take 10 Italians prisoner.

Horrie the Wog Dog, found in Egypt by Australian Forces in 1942 during World War II, saved the lives of many Australian soldiers. Horrie was refused admission back to Australia after service in Europe; he was saved by his mates smuggling him to his new home in Australia. He acted as a guard dog, giving early warning of enemy aircraft. He survived the sinking of the troop carrier, the Costa Rica, while being evacuated from Greece. He was also wounded by a bomb splinter in Crete.

Judy, was an English pointer, and was known for pointing out the approach of hostile Japanese aircraft long before any of the human crew could hear them. Later on when the ship was sunk in action, and the crew became Prisoners of War, Judy, as an honorary POW, would do what she could to help out, find food, etc. She was the only animal to have been officially registered as a Japanese prisoner of war. She was adopted by Frank Williams (1919–2006) and smuggled back to England after liberation.

Just Nuisance, the only dog to have been officially enlisted in the Royal Navy, was buried with full military honours upon his death in 1944. He never went to sea, but fulfilled a number of roles ashore. He continued to accompany sailors on train journeys and escorted them back to base when the pubs closed. While many of his functions were of his own choosing, he also appeared at many promotional events, including his own “wedding” to another Great Dane, Adinda. Adinda produce five pups as a result, two of which were auctioned off in Cape Town to raise funds for the War effort.

Lava, a mixed breed dog, was adopted as a puppy by the 1st Battalion 3rd Marines Unit nicknamed the Lava Dogs. He was rescued from Iraq in 2005 by Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman. Lava is the subject of the book From Baghdad, With Love by Kopelman and Melinda Roth.

Lex, the first actively working Military Working Dog to be adopted by family members of its handler, prior to being retired. Wounded in Iraq in March 2007, in an attack that killed his U.S. Marine Corps handler, he was awarded an honorary Purple Heart.

Nigger, a black Labrador Retriever belonging to Guy Gibson, gave his name as the codename for the Dam Busters mission in World War II. His name is usually edited out of modern versions of the film about the mission.

Rags, a Signal Corps mascot during World War I. He learned to run messages between the rear headquarters and the front lines, and provided early warning of incoming shells. Rags achieved great notoriety and celebrity war dog fame when he saved many lives in the Meuse-Argonne Campaign by delivering a vital message despite being bombed, gassed and partially blinded.

Scudbuster the dog was adopted by the 11th Air Defense Artillery Brigade, a unit responsible for firing Patriot missiles to combat the Scud missiles fired by Saddam Hussein against Israel, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. He was found outside Daharan by soldiers of the 11th ADA in January 1991 after a Scud missile attack and after the war Scudbuster was brought to the United States and eventually was adopted by a family in El Paso, Tx. He died at the age of 14 in May 2007 after spending 11 years with the Ramirez family in El Paso, TX.

Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated American war dog in US history, served during World War I. He was also a mascot at Georgetown University. After being gassed himself, Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in no man’s land, and — since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could — became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. He was even solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne.

Sinbad, the Coast Guard’s most famous mascot. He was adopted by a crewman from the cutter Campbell prior to World War II. He was so beloved by the crew that they actually enlisted him in the Coast Guard. Sinbad served faithfully through thick and thin, surviving combat with the Germans and Japanese, causing a few international incidents with his antics, and even having a book written about him.

Smoky, hero war dog of World War II, was a Yorkshire Terrier who served with the 5th Air Force in the Pacific after she was adopted by Corporal William Wynne. Smoky was credited with twelve combat missions and awarded eight battle stars. Wynne authored a book about his adventures with Smoky entitled Yorkie Doodle Dandy.