About Newf Friends

Newf Friends Newfoundland Dog Rescue is a volunteer run, foster home based rescue group for Newfoundland Dogs in need in Ontario, Canada.
We place Newfs into carefully screened homes in Ontario and surrounding provinces and states.
Established in 2008.

Follow us on Facebook for daily updates
Also find us on
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/newffriends/
Twitter @NewfFriends

Visit our Frequently Asked Questions page for general information about our program and our adoption policies and procedures.



Thursday, November 6, 2014

In Remembrance

Gander with C Company Royal Rifles of Canada Oct 27/41

Remembrance day is a time to honour our veterans, including the many animals who play an important role in our military.  Pictured above is Gander, a Newfoundland Dog who saved the lives of many soldiers.

From Wikipedia:

Gander was a Newfoundland dog posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal, the "animals' VC", in 2000 for his deeds in World War II,[1] the first such award in over 50 years.[2

Military service

Gander, initially a family pet named Pal, accidentally scratched a child's face with his paw. Worried that he would be forced to have Pal put down, the original owner gave the large dog to the Royal Rifles, a regiment of the Canadian Army stationed at Gander International Airport, Newfoundland and Labrador. The soldiers quickly renamed him Gander and "promoted" him to sergeant. When the unit was shipped to Hong Kong in the fall of 1941, Gander went along.

Gander with Fred Kelly, in barracks, 1941
The Battle of Hong Kong began on December 8, 1941, the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Gander helped fight the Japanese invaders on three occasions. The last time, Gander picked up a thrown Japanese hand grenade and rushed with it toward the enemy, dying in the ensuing explosion, but saving the lives of several wounded Canadian soldiers.[3]

After efforts by the Canadian War Museum, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals awarded Gander the Dickin Medal on October 27, 2000, the first such award since 1949. The citation reads:
For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions, Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters "C" Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery, the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention, many more lives would have been lost in the assault.[1]
At the insistence of survivors of the battle, his name was listed with those of 1975 men and two women on the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall in Ottawa, Canada.[3]
____________________________________________________________________________________

Pictured below, is a photo of Sable Chief, another Newfoundland dog who was known for his roll in the military.  Sable Chief was the mascot of  the 2nd Battalion Royal Newfoundland Regiment during World War I.

Photo Source http://www.rnfldr.ca/regiment.aspx?item=191

References

  1. ^ a b "PDSA Dickin Medal: 'the animals' VC'". People's Dispensary for Sick Animals. Retrieved August 15, 2009.[dead link]
  2. ^ Judd, Terri (August 16, 2000). "'Animal VC' will honour Gander's dash for grenade". The Independent. Retrieved August 15, 2009.
  3. ^ a b Ward, Bruce (August 13, 2009). "Gander the Canadian war dog to be included in veterans' memorial". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved August 15, 2009.[dead link]