# Pilots and their Pets



## Njaco (Apr 11, 2010)

I've collected a few images of WWII pilots and ground crews and their pets. An interest I have because of my job. Some I don't know the source but others are tagged. If anybody have any images to add, please do!


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## Njaco (Apr 11, 2010)

And of course, Franz von Werra who had a very unusual pet.


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## Colin1 (Apr 11, 2010)

609 Sqn (Typhoons); pilots obviously Welsh...


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## imalko (Apr 11, 2010)

Nice set of pictures there. Here's another one... (source unknown)


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## Njaco (Apr 11, 2010)

Colin1 said:


> 609 Sqn (Typhoons); pilots *obviously Welsh*...


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## Colin1 (Apr 11, 2010)

Troll, the pet of Feldwebel Stefan Litjens sitting on his master's Bf109E-3.


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## gumbyk (Apr 11, 2010)

Njaco, the fifth one down in the first set (the piglet) isn't a pet.
It's dinner!!!


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## imalko (Apr 11, 2010)

Pilot of 13.(Slovak)/JG 52 with a mascot of the unit. Picture taken at Anapa, southern Russia, in summer of 1943. (Source: HTmodel Special)


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## BikerBabe (Apr 11, 2010)

Really neat pics, thanks for sharing. 
Well...I found a few photos in my archive on my comp.
The name of the spaniel was - according to Werner Held - "Schweinebauch" (Pig's Belly).
Names of the dachshounds are unknown.
First pic: "Dolfo" at Audembert, Le hameau du Colombier, on the terrace with spaniel; inserted a couple of dachshounds belonging to same pilot.
Second pic: "Dolfo" and unknown with spaniel in a Storch.


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## Gnomey (Apr 11, 2010)

Great pictures so far guys! Keep them coming.


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## BikerBabe (Apr 11, 2010)

...oops, forgot one:


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## FLYBOYJ (Apr 11, 2010)

Very cool!

Not from WW2, but this guy should always be remembered for his pet!


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## BikerBabe (Apr 11, 2010)

Next three pics copyright Getty Images:


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## bobbysocks (Apr 11, 2010)

here's a couple i have. first 2 no discription. #3 Capt. Davis Perron, 362nd FS, #4 Capt Tom McKinney and mascot, "Jamaica" with his aircraft and crew. Sgts Hood, Irv Brazer and Burleson


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## bobbysocks (Apr 11, 2010)

ooops this one didnt take the first time..
Lt Roger Pagels, 363rd FS


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## hawkeye2an (Apr 11, 2010)

FLYBOYJ said:


> Very cool!
> 
> Not from WW2, but this guy should always be remembered for his pet!



Fly. is that Roscoe Turner?


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## imalko (Apr 12, 2010)

Manfred von Richthofen and his pet dog Moritz. I seem to recall reading somewhere that on one occasion while running along the airstrip Moritz got hit to the head by the wooden propeller but survived.


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## magnu (Apr 12, 2010)

Ralph( Kidd) Hoffer and Duke 4th FG Debden
Hoffer would often take Duke flying with him sitting him on his lap. When Jim Goodson was giving new pilots extra training before they went into combat, Hoffer and Duke would pull up alongside in close formation with the new guy with Hoffer ducked down so only Duke was visible.


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## wheelsup_cavu (Apr 13, 2010)

Cool pics everyone! 


Wheels


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## RabidAlien (Apr 13, 2010)

...Jim Duffy? Not sure the source, the site I found it on didn't give any information.


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## rochie (Apr 13, 2010)

two pics from Spitfire II the Canadians by Rogert Bracken
first one is Whiskey, mascot of 401 Sqdrn in J.K Fergusons spitfire IX YO F.
second is 609 Sqdrn playing cricket, doesnt say puppies name


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## bobbysocks (Apr 13, 2010)

magnu said:


> Ralph( Kidd) Hoffer and Duke 4th FG Debden
> Hoffer would often take Duke flying with him sitting him on his lap. When Jim Goodson was giving new pilots extra training before they went into combat, Hoffer and Duke would pull up alongside in close formation with the new guy with Hoffer ducked down so only Duke was visible.



just a question....what is that on the wing where the dog is standing? never saw anything like that before....some sort of anti slip walkway??


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## magnu (Apr 13, 2010)

I haven't seen one or at least noticed one until I found the image. I would imagine it would be used to prevent damage to the wing surface and paint which was used to provide a smooth a surface as possible to aid laminar air flow


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## Colin1 (Apr 13, 2010)

magnu said:


> I haven't seen one or at least noticed one until I found the image. I would imagine it would be used to prevent damage to the wing surface and paint which was used to provide a smooth a surface as possible to aid laminar air flow


My guess
based on the same smooth surface, is that it's an anti-slip mat for ground crew working on the engine

I doubt designers were expecting laminar flow at the wing root (turbulence from the prop disc)


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## bobbysocks (Apr 13, 2010)

like magnu i have never seen anything like that before...while i am no historian..i have seen a LOT of 51 pics/videos. i like it when something new pops up!! might be something the crew made..or was used at a certain base...interesting nonetheless.


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## Colin1 (Apr 15, 2010)

I think I've got it
it revolves, it's a treadmill for the dog.
Hoffer would close the canopy on the lead, fly combat ops and walk the dog at the same time.
Archived Luftwaffe reports would appear to confirm this.


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## Njaco (Apr 15, 2010)

hence the name 'dogfight'? I heard Capt. Luke Duke did the same with a cat - called it a 'furball'.


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## BikerBabe (Apr 16, 2010)

Awesome pics guys, here's another Dolfo-one:


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## drgondog (Apr 16, 2010)

Some from the 355th FG - 'Yank' the 354FS mascot, plus pics of 358FS pilot Warth and his "Thunder's" puppies - father as yet not recalled or perhaps never certified..


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## Pong (Apr 17, 2010)

Pretty awesome pics here.

Just one from the LIFE collection. U.S pilot at Midway.


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## wheelsup_cavu (Apr 18, 2010)

Wheels


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## rochie (Apr 24, 2010)

found this in Schiffer's Military History - Aircraft of the Luftwaffe


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## Gnomey (Apr 24, 2010)

Good stuff!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Apr 28, 2010)

Nice picture Rochie. 


Wheels


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## Violator (Apr 30, 2010)

Credit for the following photo goes to Wild Bill Crump. John "Wild Bill" Crump flew P-47s and P-51s with the 356th FG. He had a pet coyote named Jeep that actually flew with Bill on five missions!


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## Njaco (May 19, 2010)

Heres an infamous pic - anybody know why?


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## T Bolt (May 19, 2010)

That’s Hitler on the right with the mustache.


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## Njaco (May 19, 2010)

Bingo!


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## A4K (May 19, 2010)

The dog? B-I -N-G-O, B-I-...


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## T Bolt (May 19, 2010)

Here's the 2 mascots from my dads B-24 training squadron from 1943


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## Njaco (May 19, 2010)

Great pic!!!!


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## Gnomey (May 19, 2010)

Excellent shot!


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## Njaco (Jun 2, 2010)

A few more......


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## imalko (Jun 29, 2010)

Here's an interesting one found on another forum...


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## B-17engineer (Jun 29, 2010)

Thats sweet! The pig Chris isn't really a pet


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## BikerBabe (Jun 29, 2010)

B-17engineer said:


> Thats sweet! The pig Chris isn't really a pet



Nah...more like dinner.


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## RabidAlien (Jun 29, 2010)

Heh...gotta be one trusting fool to hold a pig like that and let your buddy shoot it....

Cool turtle! Slowest.....blitzkrieg......ever!


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## Njaco (Jun 29, 2010)

Thats a Schnaps-en Turtle!


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## BikerBabe (Jul 10, 2010)

Hi again guys.

I recently read one of Johannes Steinhoff's books, and he mentions that he adopted a dog while on Sicily.
It must've been a somewhat small dog, since he writes that he put the dog behind the headrest in his 109, when the Luftwaffe started loosing the battle down there, and they had to withdraw.
While on the way, he encountered some enemy aircraft, and promptly forgot all about the poor dog, engaging the enemy and escaping unscathed. Needless to say, the dog was terrified, but otherwise physically okay afterwards. 
Does any of you know if any photos exist of the man and his dog?

Cheers, 

Maria.


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## Peebs (Jul 11, 2010)

From "Aviation Classics" issue 3, "Supermarine Spitfires"

Wg Cdr JE 'Johnnie' Johnson DSO* DFC** (Rank and awards as at the time of this picture) Seen here with his pet Labrador, Sally, at Bazenville Landing Ground, Normandy France, 31 July 1944

The RAF's top scoring pilot flying in Northern Europe, Johnson Retired as an Air Vice Marshall in 1966


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## timmo (Jul 11, 2010)

Hilly Brown - RCAF - in No1 Squadron, 1940.

= Tim

PS - meant a Canadian in the RAF


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## Njaco (Jul 11, 2010)

Great pics guys!

BB, I haven't found anthing yet but heres one for ya - Galland witha puppy! Plus 2 more.


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## Lucky13 (Jul 11, 2010)

Cool shots Chris!


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## BikerBabe (Jul 11, 2010)

Njaco said:


> Great pics guys!
> 
> BB, I haven't found anthing yet but heres one for ya - Galland witha puppy! Plus 2 more.



Cool pics Njaco, but if you had looked through the thread first, you'd discovered that I posted that colour pic w. Galland, crew and puppy before you. 
Thanks for the thought, though - I appreciate it.


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## Njaco (Jul 11, 2010)

[email protected]!!!!


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## BikerBabe (Jul 11, 2010)

Njaco said:


> [email protected]!!!!



No worries, I think I've scoured most of the web - and quite a few books - for Galland pics, so you'd be hard pressed to find one I haven't got in my collection already.


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## B-17engineer (Aug 13, 2010)

Found this


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## Snautzer01 (Aug 18, 2010)

German spy?


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## Snautzer01 (Aug 18, 2010)

some very well armoured pets


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## Snautzer01 (Aug 18, 2010)

Hot dog?


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## imalko (Aug 18, 2010)

Picture of Turtle with the Balkenkreuz painted on the shell was already posted on the previous page...


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## Gnomey (Aug 18, 2010)

Good shots!


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## pbfoot (Apr 30, 2011)

here is a link to pilots and their dogs , I believe this site is one of the better ones out there 
In Praise of The Squadron Pooch > Vintage Wings of Canada


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## Njaco (May 1, 2011)

Excellent!


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## Gnomey (May 1, 2011)

Nice find!


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

Story to go along with some of the pictures

During WORLD WAR II, the 91st Photo Squadron of the 311th Photo Wing operated throughout Central and South America. We flew several different airplanes, especially modified for high altitude mapping work. Most common were the F-10 (B-25) and F-9 (B-17), as well as a few F-2's (C-45) and F-7's (B-24). 
We were certainly not the only Army Air Corps unit to adopt animals as pets, but we did have some unusual ones. My favorite was LOOP, a miniature Daschund. Loop was born in a hangar at our base near Talara, Peru. Talara is the westernmost point on the South American continent, in a desert devoid of any living thing save for monster scorpions. LOOP flew with me ocasionally on low altitude flights, such as tests or supply trips to the depot in Panama. His favorite "seat" was in the nose. He never saw a tree or fire hydrant; his urinal of choice was my nose wheel. 
TAXI was one of the dozens of wild burros who adopted US. They spent their days wandering around looking for food (they must have found some scanty weeds somewhere in the rocky arroyos which surrounded us. As night approached, they would bed down on our runway, warmed by the constant sunshine and protecting them from the cold of the desert. TAXI (short for TALARA TAXI) had a definite preference for the concrete volleyball court, which happened to be beside the mess hall. The best fed animal of the bunch helped us chase the sleepy heads off the runway at dawn so we could take off. He seemed to enjoy the sirens and shotgun blasts which served as alarms. We tried without much luck to organize burro races. The squadron prankster somehow managed to get one of the smaller creatures into the "old man's" plane late one night. The perpetrator was promoted to "sanitation engineer" and grounded for a week, beginning after the cleanup. 
MAYDAY had some multi-syllabic zoological name, but we just called him a parrot. His favorite perch was atop the gas alarm. An iron triangle, activated by a length of pipe, was supposed be sounded ONLY in the event of a gas attack. MAYDAY found that he could sound the alarm by furiously pecking it. He (or she: whatever) evidently enjoyed the chaos which ensued after the alarm sounded. This was at Salinas, Ecuador, just a few miles south of the Equator and located on a good harbor. Rumors abounded that a sub , presumadly Japanese, had been sighted just off shore. These rumors were given wings one Sunday morning when three "enemy" fighter planes buzzed Quito, the capitol. They turned out to be from the Peruvian Fuerza Aeria on a nuisance "raid". 
KITTY, a cuddly little Calico kitten, belonged to my navigator. When we were ordered to move from Talara to Santiago, Chile, it looked as though KITTY would be left behind. But Gus talked me into adding her to the manifest. She behaved quite nicely until she became a bit hypoxic. She soon hopped onto my shoulder and then up onto the top of the instrument panel, where she soon drifted off to dreamland. I pulled out my trustly little camera and "shot" here. Several years later, this picture was published in a magazine and a couple of books. The caption "outed" me for violating Army regulations prohibiting carrying animals on aircraft. (Good thing the Statute of Limitations came to my rescue !)


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

Sgt. Stubby: America's first war dog hero
Stubby served for 18 months and participated in seventeen battles on the Western Front. In February of 1918 he saved his regiment from surprise mustard gas attacks. This pit bull terrier dog was the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. 

He also located and comforted wounded, carried messages under fire and even once caught a German spy by the seat of his pants after hearing a noise coming from a small patch of brush. He went to investigate and found a German spy. Stubby put his ears back and began to bark. The German began to run and Stubby took off after him, biting the soldier on his legs causing him to trip and fall. Then he attacked the soldier's arms and finally bit and held onto his rear end. By this time some of the Allied soldiers had come to see what all the noise was. When they saw that the dog had captured a spy they cheered. He became the first dog to be given rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. 

After the war, Stubby became Georgetown University's mascot when his owner, Robert Conroy was headed to law school and took the dog along. Old age finally caught up with the small warrior on April 4th, 1926, as he took ill and died in Conroy's arms.
STUBBY, Bull Terrier mix, WWI. The most decorated war dog in U.S. history. As a small, stray bull terrier, he was smuggled aboard a troop ship to France. There he was wounded in no-man’s land but recovered and still served in battles at Chateau Thierry, the Marne and the Meuse-Argonne with the men of the 102nd Infantry. One night in February 1918, he roused a sleeping sergeant to warn of a gas attack, giving the soldiers time to don masks and thus saving them. Gen John “Black Jack” Pershing awarded him a special Gold Medal. He was given Life Membership in the American Legion and the Red Cross. He met Presidents Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge. He died of old age in 1926. Stubby is now on display as part of American military history in the Hartford Armory in Connecticut and is called “Sergeant Stubby”.


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

Soldiers’ Keepers: Dogs of War

by Jaime Netzer, VFW magazine, January 2009

For almost as long as man has been waging war, dogs have stood at soldiers’ sides. Whether serving as sentries, messengers or search dogs, these loyal hounds share a unique ability: they can simultaneously save troops’ lives and destroy enemies.

No one can be certain what exactly happened when Chips, a mixed-breed German shepherd, husky and collie, entered a small grass-covered hut on Sicily, July 10, 1943.

At about 4:30 a.m., while working inland after the 30th Inf. Regt., 3rd Div., executed an amphibious landing near Licata on the southern coast of the Italian island, a machine gun opened fire from the hut—which was actually a camouflaged pillbox.

Suddenly, Chips broke free of his handler, Pvt. John P. Rowell, and ran into the pillbox. Moments later, the machine-gun fire stopped, and an Italian soldier appeared, Chips attacking his arms and throat. Three other soldiers followed, arms raised in surrender. 

Chips suffered powder burns and a scalp wound, indicating the soldiers had attempted to shoot him with a revolver. But only the Italians taken prisoner (and Chips) know how he was able to bring about their immediate surrender all on his own.

Although Chips might be one of the most celebrated war dog heroes of U.S. military working dog history (he even has a Disney movie, Chips the War Dog, to maintain his legend), he is just one of countless canines that have served alongside GIs over the years. 

War dogs have helped buttress our armed forces officially and effectively since WWII. Despite shifts in duties and breeds, dog-handler relationships—usually close, unyielding bonds—remain largely unchanged.

Patriotic Pups
Dogs have a long history as mascots—and morale boosters—in U.S. war efforts.

In WWI, a homeless dog dubbed “Stubby” was plucked from the Yale University campus in New Haven, Conn., and adopted by the 26th Infantry Division, which was training there. A white and brindle dog that looked like a pit bull and got his name from the nub of his tail, Stubby went everywhere with the men as they completed training. He was even snuck on the ship with them as they headed for France. 

Stubby went on to serve in 17 battles, meet three presidents, and was decorated after the war by Gen. of the Armies John J. Pershing. However, Stubby was not a trained war dog, but a mascot, and an unofficial one at that. 

It was WWII that marked the first official use of military working dogs (MWDs) in the U.S. armed forces.

The initial MWD training was limited to basic obedience. Dogs served as sentries or messengers, especially early on in the war. When troops landed in the Solomon Islands, their radio batteries couldn’t withstand the heat and humidity; dogs were often the only means of communication.

In May of 1942, the U.S. Army received its first nine sentry dogs from Dogs for Defense, Inc., an organization created to volunteer dogs for the war effort. From these donated dogs the U.S. Army Canine (K-9) Corps was established. 

By December of that year, more than 125,000 dogs had been volunteered for the war effort, though only about 20,000 actually entered the military. About half of those dogs were used to guard beaches, factories and bases. The rest went abroad to fight. 

Many breeds were accepted at the inception of the K-9 Corps, including Belgian and German shepherds, Dalma¬tians, rottweilers, standard poodles, bull mastiffs, huskies, and even mixed breeds.

As training developed, MWDs were taught to tolerate gunfire, not to bark at any time, and to improve their ability to hear and smell the enemy. Eventually, dogs also parachuted to aid wounded fliers, conducted search and rescue missions, laid telephone wire and searched for mines. 

MWDs also served in the Marine Corps in WWII, forming several war dog platoons. Most Dobermans that fought in the war served with the Marines in the Pacific.

Though the mine detection dogs (M-dogs) proved basically unreliable during WWII, later analysis revealed faulty training methods as the culprit. In subsequent conflicts, M-dogs affirmed their value. MWDs in WWII carried supplies, too—Siberian huskies could carry a tremendous amount of weight (for example, a .30-caliber machine gun).

As the war drew to a close, the Army took on an ambitious plan to return military dogs to civilian life. It recognized those war dogs that hadn’t died in the line of duty by issuing a discharge certificate upon their return home. However, this process was riddled with problems and was eventually discontinued. 

Since 1945, canine recruitment has meant servitude for life, and dogs have been technically classified as “equipment.”

‘Yankee—Take Your Dog and Go Home!’
After the war, military dog programs disappeared and scout dog platoons were disbanded. By the time the Korean War began in 1950, only one active scout dog platoon (26th Infantry Platoon, Scout Dog) existed.

The first squad to ship to Korea, comprising seven handlers and six dogs, arrived in June of 1951 and was attached to the 2nd Infantry Division. 

In Korea, for the first time, dogs began participating in night patrols. Handlers were usually given 24 to 48 hours notice, allowing them time to prime the dog for the mission. Under cover of night, handlers and dogs relied on other GIs on patrol for gunfire cover. In return, the patrol was privy to the dog’s keen senses and its handler’s ability to read the MWD’s body language.

Some 1,500 dogs served in Korea. The enemy was clearly intimidated by their presence. According to War Dogs, by Vietnam dog handler Michael G. Lemish, handlers found that in close-quarter fighting, the North Koreans or Chinese would try to kill the dogs immediately.

“Sometimes the Communists attempted to unnerve the American soldiers by setting up loudspeakers and making short propaganda broadcasts during the night,” Lemish wrote. “On at least one occasion the loudspeakers blared forth, ‘Yankee—take your dog and go home!’ ”


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

VFW story part 2
‘I Got All of My Confidence from That Dog’
Indeed, communication between dog and handler has saved countless lives through the years. In Vietnam, veteran David Adams, who served with the 388th Security Police Squadron, K-9 Section, from October 1969-October 1970, knew his relationships with his dogs were vital to his own safety.

“Dogs’ relationships with their handlers are so critical to them working well,” Adams said. “That’s common from WWII all the way to Iraq. The K-9 program has always been on a strict voluntary basis, so you had to really want to work with dogs.”

Adams, who was bitten by a German shepherd as a child, quickly swallowed his fear when faced with a choice: work with bombs, security police or dogs. For him, the choice was easy. The first dog Adams worked with in Vietnam was named Rex, and Adams says Rex was an “alpha dog.”

“When I first picked him up, I could tell right away it would take a while for us to get used to each other,” Adams said. “The most memorable night was my first night on post.”

“They called this one post the post from hell, and new guys always got stuck on it. We worked only at night, and the post was along a single track dirt road, 10 to 15 feet wide, that had a perimeter fence and jungle to one side and more jungle to the other. We had several varieties of cobras, pit vipers, centipedes, and scorpions there too, which were all very poisonous.”

Adams said he felt extremely nervous. “I reached down and petted the dog,” he said. “He had been working for about a year before I got there, and he gave me this look like ‘What are we waiting for?’ I got all of my confidence that night from that dog.”

American war dogs logged tens of thousands of missions in Vietnam. Some 325 died in the line of duty along with 261 handlers. The Vietnam Dog Handlers Association estimates that dogs saved 10,000 soldiers’ lives during the war.

Unfortunately, fewer than 200 of the 4,000 dogs that served in Vietnam ever came home. To the men who served, the dogs were like fellow comrades. But to the Pentagon, they were classified as equipment, and euthanized.

‘They Trusted the Dog’s Nose with Their Lives’
Adams says that though the bond between dog and handler has never really changed, training and support are radically different today in Afghanistan and Iraq than when he served.

Adams says the military now places much greater emphasis on the duration a handler is paired with a dog. “The longer you’re with one dog, the better the bonding is,” Adams said. “A handler and his dog will go to Iraq or Afghani¬stan, and then that same team comes back to the base they left from.” 

He also added that the training is much more extensive. “They’re trained primarily for drug detection or explosive detection, depending on which the dog responds best to,” he said. 

Lackland Air Force Base in Texas is home to the military’s Specialized Search Dog (SSD) Program, created to help thwart IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

At Lackland, dogs are exposed gradually to the noise of gunfire and helicopters. They perform drills in simulated Iraqi villages, so the war zone isn’t a complete shock.

“We take soldiers’ lives out of danger, in a sense,” says dog handler Charles Shepker, “because instead of sending them out there searching out IEDs, we can use the dogs to do it.”

Shepker, a sergeant first class who served with Combined Joint Task Force 76 in Afghanistan from November 2005 to November 2006, says SSDs are an asset. “Our dogs can do things a lot faster than it would take humans to do them, and their senses of smell, sight, and hearing are far better than those of humans,” he explained.

“Plus, I always trusted my dogs with my life,” he said. “The other guys I was working with trusted the dogs’ noses with their lives. Downrange or overseas, most people feel a lot safer when they have MWDs with them.”
Dogs offer such comfort that in December 2007, the military began placing therapy dogs in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The dogs will be able to serve as an icebreaker and a communication link,” Mike Sargeant, chief training officer for the non-profit America’s VetDogs, told USA Today. He says therapy dogs offer affection without regard to “gender, race, disability or injury.”

Since the start of the Iraq and Afghan¬i¬stan wars, more than 1,000 dogs have passed through the combat zones. To date, at least three have been killed.


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

Did You Know?
• Many WWII Doberman pinschers, the breed of choice for Marines, saw their first action on Iwo Jima. More than 100 dogs died there in service to their country.

• Early on in WWII, dogs were especially valuable as messengers. The most famous of them, Caesar, was said to have once run 15 missions from command post to the front lines and back in just 48 hours—collapsing from exhaustion after the final run.

• Lex, a German shepherd, is the first active duty military working dog (MWD) to be retired so that members of his handler’s family could adopt him. He was wounded March 21, 2007, during his second tour in Iraq, in a mortar attack that also killed his Marine handler, Cpl. Dustin J. Lee. With the help of an online petition and widespread media pressure, the Marine Corps relented. He was adopted on Dec. 21, 2007, setting a new precedent for MWD adoption in the event of a handler’s death.


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

MORE!


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## daveT (May 4, 2011)

The Dogs of WAR!




I do not know how they determined if the dog was loyal?


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## Gnomey (May 4, 2011)

Good stuff!


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## Njaco (May 4, 2011)

Great additions!! Thanks! Love the one with the cat on the dash!


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## BikerBabe (May 5, 2011)

Wonderful pics, thanks for sharing.   

Here's two - you might know the pilot. 






Unknown dog.






With the mascot "Struppi".


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## Glider (May 5, 2011)

These are good.


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## daveT (May 6, 2011)

The story of a Czech WW II airman and his remarkable dog
see link

The story of a Czech WW II airman and his remarkable dog - Radio Prague


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## Glider (May 11, 2011)

One dog not to be messed with, I give you P/O Pooch. 

P/ O Pooch (Mascot)


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## stona (May 11, 2011)

Seargeant James Hyde and the 132 Sqn. mascot called Dingo.






Hyde was from Trinidad and was one of around 300 men from the Carribean who volunteered and served as aircrew during WWII. Dingo was presumably not Australian,despite his name!
Sadly Hyde was shot down and killed near Nijmegen on 25/9/44 flying his Spitfire IX,PL316,coded FF-S. He now rests in Junkerbos war cemetery,a very long way from home. We owe him and his fellow volunteers a huge debt and they should not be overlooked.

Here's an unknown but very contented looking mascot posing with 137 Sqn (according to my trusty copy of "Combat Codes") early in 1943. Nice clean Whirlwinds in the background.






Cheers
Steve


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## muggs (May 11, 2011)

Horia Pop with his dog called "Lica" can't make out the breed but it has a funny face


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## Gnomey (May 11, 2011)

Good stuff, that first one is a great shot stona.


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## stona (May 11, 2011)

Nice one of Pop too. That's a great emblem on the cowling. It seems Mickey Mouse served with just about every airforce involved in the conflict! Obviously as popular in Rumania as everywhere else.
Cheers
Steve


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## muggs (May 13, 2011)

Take the following descriptions with several grains of salt  Some are quite entertaining though ( also sorry for the format, it's a sloppy copy/paste job )


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## daveT (May 13, 2011)

, 

Charles A. Lindbergh and Booster on the Kelly Field bomb range 1924-25


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## Njaco (May 17, 2011)

Muggs, great stuff!!!


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## glennasher (May 17, 2011)

Sorry, no pic, and no aircraft, but my uncle had a monkey he kept on the LCM he drove in the Pacific late in the war. He got it either in the Phillipines or Borneo. When he got on the ship to come home, the officer made him toss it overboard.


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## Gnomey (May 17, 2011)

Njaco said:


> Muggs, great stuff!!!


 
Agree Chris, excellent stuff Muggs!


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## muggs (May 24, 2011)

Glad you like them guys, here's another 2, no story for these though.


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## daveT (Jun 10, 2011)

Navy WWII squadron VS-1 mascot "Skippy"

Tragically, Skippy passes away and is honored with a most unusual burial at sea


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## daveT (Jun 10, 2011)

VPB-63 aircrew and their mascots in North Africa 1944


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## vikingBerserker (Jun 11, 2011)

I like that goat!

Man, that'd stink to have to throw a monkey overboard.


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## Njaco (Jun 11, 2011)

I wonder what type of clearance they had to get to 'bury' Skippy!


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## Gnomey (Jun 11, 2011)

Cool shots 8)


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## daveT (Jun 13, 2011)

"I wonder what type of clearance they had to get to 'bury' Skippy!"
They had to get the Skippers (Commanding Officer's) approval is all they needed.
I bet the Sailors felt stupid having to dress up just for the dog. That dog must have been loved!


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## daveT (Jun 14, 2011)

More WWII mascot color photos
The dog was adopted by the 442nd Regimental Medics as mascot
Squadron mascot Puma named Chatta with pilots stationed in Panama (doesn't look like a nice kitty to me)
A drill press operator feeds pet ferret in England ( I bet those ferrets got into all kinds of trouble in the machine shop!)


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## RabidAlien (Jun 14, 2011)

Heh....ferrets in a machine shop....musta been like the ultimate playground for those little guys! TONS (literally!) of stuff to climb on/over/through!!!


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## daveT (Jun 15, 2011)

....ferrets in a machine shop are like monkeys in the machine. Everything gets messed up.


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## v2 (Jul 6, 2011)

...


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 6, 2011)

..and the cat has the standard cat look: "I loathe people"


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## Wayne Little (Jul 10, 2011)

vikingBerserker said:


> ..and the cat has the standard cat look: "I loathe people"


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## Diddy-Dee (Jul 14, 2011)

top thread!! i can only imagine the excitement of the pets when their boys returned safe..


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## v2 (Jul 17, 2011)

American Lieutenant Mark Muller poses with a koala during WWII, 1942


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## Gnomey (Jul 17, 2011)

Nice shot v2!


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## vikingBerserker (Jul 17, 2011)

Very cool!


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## Njaco (Jul 18, 2011)

very nice!


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## v2 (Sep 7, 2011)

...


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## Njaco (Sep 7, 2011)

Wow!


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## v2 (Sep 9, 2011)

301 Sqn. Polish Air Force in Brindisi.


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## Gnomey (Sep 9, 2011)

Interesting shots v2!


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## Njaco (Oct 5, 2011)

more......


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## Gnomey (Oct 5, 2011)

Nice shots Chris!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Oct 6, 2011)

Nice pictures. 
For some reason when I see them with their animals in the pictures they seem more _alive._ The people in the photos now seem like someone you might meet on the street tomorrow and not someone in a picture from decades ago. 


Wheels


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## daveT (Nov 1, 2011)

Us Army Maneuvers In The Deep South
"Butch", one-month-old puppy standing guard over his master's 155-mm. howitzer during US Army maneuvers. Location: Meridian, MI, US Date taken: May 1940 Photographer: John Phillips

The dog may be small. but he has a big bite!


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 1, 2011)

LMAO I love that one!


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## Njaco (Nov 1, 2011)

Thats frickin' cool!


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## daveT (Nov 4, 2011)

Tabby cat who kept superstitious young pilots company on WWII bombing missions honoured for braveryBy Stephanie Darrall







Honoured: Pyro the tabby cat (pictured with an unknown woman) will be recognised for bravery after flying on experimental bomb tests in the Second World War 
A tabby cat who was at the side of superstitious young crews flying on experimental bomb tests above the Atlantic in the Second World War is to be honoured for bravery.
Pyro was kept inside the flight jackets of crew members while flying at altitudes of 20,000ft and even flew on the legendary 'bouncing bomb' tests.
The mascot also protected the hands of his owner Bob Bird from frostbite by keeping them warm when the plane they were in crash-landed in the sea.
BBC presenter Fiona Bruce presented Mr Bird's son Robin with a special posthumous commendation to Pyro from the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals charity.
The presentation will be broadcast during the Antiques Roadshow on Remembrance Sunday.
Robin Bird, 64, said: 'We are really very proud of Pyro. He was the only flying cat in the Second World War - and any other war as far as we know.
'The crews believed that Pyro kept them safe during the dangerous experimental flights over the Atlantic.
'Those missions were very dangerous and a lot of crews died so they were very superstitious and Pyro was very important for moral.'

More...The mystery of the MP's missing cat deepens as vet claims pet 'found safe and well' is NOT Beauty 

Pyro was first found by Liverpool photographer Mr Bird when he was dispatched to the Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) base in Helensburgh, Scotland, to document experimental weapons being tested to destroy German U-boats.
In 1942 the then 22-year-old found the kitten searching for a warm place to stay in his dark room.
Mr Bird decided to adopt the cat when he accidentally trapped his tail in a sliding door and had to take him to the base medical officer for treatment.
From then on Pyro, named after the photographic developing chemical pyrocatechol, hung around the base and waited for Mr Bird to return from missions.
But his owner noticed the cat was miserable when left alone so began carrying him in his flying jacket.
Robin Bird added: 'Pyro used to love to fly. He wasn't scared at all. My mother told me that Bob would whistle when he was going flying and Pyro would come running.'
He said Pyro earned his wings one winter's day in early 1943 when, at 20,000ft, ice covered the plane his father was flying in.
As a kitten: Pyro was kept inside the flight jackets of crew members while flying at altitudes of 20,000ft and even flew on the legendary 'bouncing bomb' tests
The photographer took off his glove to change a lens and got severe frostbite in his fingers.
He cleverly used the heat from the cat in his flying jacket to warm his hands.
Pyro stayed in position even after the plane had to make a crash-landing in the sea off the west coast of Scotland, when the pilot was rendered blind by severe frostbite.

Mr Bird spent two weeks in hospital recovering and was later told by doctors the cat had saved his fingers.
The pair continued their partnership and in 1945 the photographer was transferred to RAF Beaulieu in Hampshire.
He took Pyro with him but the tale ended in tragedy when he returned to base one day to find Pyro, who was fully grown and too big to fly, had been hit by a truck and killed.
Robin Bird added: 'My dad used to talk about Pyro all the time. He had a really strong affection for him and he was devastated when he got killed.
'Judging from my dad's stories Pyro deserved to be honoured which is why I nominated him for this award.
'We have also set up a shrine to Pyro at the Fort Perch Rock aviation museum in the Wirral.'
Television presenter Fiona Bruce presented Robin Bird, a former journalist, and his wife Carla, 67, with a framed bravery certificate for the intrepid cat during filming last month in Staffordshire.


Read more: Tabby cat who kept superstitious young pilots company on WWII bombing missions honoured for bravery | Mail Online


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## Njaco (Nov 6, 2011)

Now that is a very cool story! Thanks Dave!


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## RabidAlien (Nov 11, 2011)

Well, not really a "pilot's pet", nor a WW2 pet, but here's a pic of Stubby, of WW1 trench-warfare fame, getting a medal from none other than General "Black Jack" Pershing himself (with First Lady Florence Harding looking on). If even half of what I've read about this dog are true, he most certainly earned his medals (there were several...both American and French!)!!!

View attachment General Black Jack Pershing, Stubby the War Dog, and First Lady Florence Harding.bmp


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## vikingBerserker (Nov 12, 2011)

Nice!


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## v2 (Dec 15, 2011)

Robert Alexander "Butch" Barton - 249 Sqn


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## jipi (Dec 15, 2011)

Don't know if I can directly link to the photo, as it is still under copyright.

You'll find it on P.16 of this link.

http://aerostories2.free.fr/acrobat/aventures/hauchemaille.pdf

Marc Hauchemaille, a free french, killed in 1942, shows Pilou, the dog from his company, that followed him by boat from France.

"I don't know if I have talked about Pilou's return, This brave dog has undergone the reglementary quarantine, and we got him back bigger and well threatened..."

This poor dog got killed in Tern Hill, in July 1941, rammed by a jeep.


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## v2 (Dec 20, 2011)

The Squadron Dog was such an important part of the Battle of Britain and all aerial battles of the war, that he/she is honoured at the Battle of Britain Memorial at Capel Le Ferne, Kent.


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## javlin (Dec 20, 2011)

No Pics just a story that my father related to me a couple of times in my youth.My father was a radio operator on a B-17 in a squadron that went OTU when it hit England(first bomb group over).The story was that a B-17 had an Ocelot for a mascot that he told me went up on missons(how did he breathe?).
But the story goes the guys were in the hangar one day and the cat was tied up to a pole or something minding his own business when a small dog or chihuahua started taking an interest in the cat.The dog kept barking up a storm and getting braver and braver getting ever closer to the cat.The cat in turn knowing his limits would just open one eye and close it luring the dog ever closer and closer.My Dad said that dog came within range of a paw and his arse went across that hangar floor yelping all the while with crews laughning.The plane that cat belong to took off one time without the cat not to return he said crews were scampering to make him thier mascot.I do not think he was BS'ing me for he told me the story a couple three times and I do not really recall it changing or anything.I would have to say that most of the stories I heard from England were him having fun.The other stuff was few and far in between for him to recollect to me anyway.


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## Njaco (Dec 20, 2011)

No worries Javlin! Great story!


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## vikingBerserker (Dec 20, 2011)

That's just so cool!


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## javlin (Dec 29, 2011)

Njaco said:


> No worries Javlin! Great story!



Not all that perdient to the thread but a long lost find occurred this past week.My Wife located all the orginal records we have on my fathers time in the Army Air Force starting with 1937 letters(2) written by the Chaplin to my grandparents on his enlistment on up to 1980 when he finally retired from CS @ KAFB.The foto though of him holding the plaque showing the the seperation of the bomb group upon arrival in England is still elusive that foto dates him to the first bomb group.


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## daveT (Dec 31, 2011)

Stinson L-5 Sentinel 42-92509 Mary
Dog Mascot Named Soupee ETO France


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## daveT (Jan 10, 2012)

WWI Lt. Field E. Kindley of the 148th Aero Squadron w mascot Fokker in cockpit of a Sopwith Camel source US Archieves


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## daveT (Jan 10, 2012)

View attachment 189175

WWI Lt. Field E. Kindley of the 148th Aero Squadron w mascot named "Fokker" in cockpit of a Sopwith Camel source US Archieves
Fokker> Great name for a WWI dog!... Come here you little Fokker!!!


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## Njaco (Jan 10, 2012)

Thats a boxer pup looking for trouble!


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## Gnomey (Jan 10, 2012)

Indeed Chris. Cool pic!


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## wheelsup_cavu (Jan 12, 2012)

Cute little Boxer puppy. 


Wheels


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## daveT (Feb 16, 2012)

1920s USMC station at Pearl


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## daveT (Feb 16, 2012)

1920s USMC station at Pearl
View attachment 192895


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## daveT (Feb 22, 2012)

I thought you said PET PILOT
A dog pilot in a B-17


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## daveT (Feb 22, 2012)

I thought you said PET PILOT
That B-17 pilot is a DOG!
View attachment 193567


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## pbfoot (Mar 26, 2012)

From vintage wings IMHO best Warbird website out there
Bull Dogs on the Coast > Vintage Wings of Canada


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## Njaco (Mar 31, 2012)

Neil, those are great!!!!!!


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## futuredogfight (Apr 6, 2012)

Some of these photos are very funny!


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## v2 (May 25, 2012)

...


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## v2 (Nov 17, 2012)

...


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## Gnomey (Nov 17, 2012)

Cool shot v2!


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## v2 (Nov 18, 2012)

Hans Philip


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## bobbysocks (Nov 19, 2012)

its amazing how many pilots had foxes..... they must have made decent pets..


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## muggs (Dec 20, 2012)

A great pic of a romanian pilot and his hawk "pet"  Dated august 1942


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## Gnomey (Dec 21, 2012)

Cool shots guys!


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## v2 (Dec 28, 2012)

...


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## hedge hopper (Dec 28, 2012)

Colin1 said:


> 609 Sqn (Typhoons); pilots obviously Welsh...


That is an excellent photograph! The Airman is Peter Raw. This was taken at RAF Manston in 1943. 'Billy de Goat', is the mascot's name. I have this picture in one of my books.


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## hedge hopper (Dec 28, 2012)

Colin1 said:


> 609 Sqn (Typhoons); pilots obviously Welsh...


I'll try again !


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## Gnomey (Dec 28, 2012)

Nice shot v2!


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## v2 (Dec 30, 2012)

...


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## Njaco (Jan 1, 2013)

a famous soldier and his pet....


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## Lucky13 (Jan 2, 2013)

I've got a pic in a book back at my parents of a cat or a wee dog lying on top of the panel in a B-17 I think or if it was a B-25....baking in the sun!


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## v2 (Jan 3, 2013)

Flight Lieutenant J R Sterne RCAF of No. 174 Squadron RAF standing beside his Hawker Hurricane Mark IIB, HV894 "Our John"


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## Njaco (Jan 24, 2013)

.


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## Njaco (Feb 18, 2013)

.


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## T Bolt (Feb 19, 2013)

A German Shepard on Hurricane? Could be a spy.


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## v2 (Feb 26, 2013)

P-40 pilot Col. Bruce Holloway and his dog Joe:


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## Poor Old Spike (Mar 4, 2013)

Lt. Franz von Werra and his lion cub "Simba"






Fw200 Condor






Hpt. Hans Philipp


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## Njaco (Mar 12, 2013)




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## v2 (May 24, 2013)

Ciapek was adopted by Polish 305 bomber squadron as their official pet mascot during WWII. As former RAF officer C. H. Ward-Jackson wrote in “No Bombs at All” (as related in "Destiny Can Wait"), Ciapek became such a part of the Squadron that he only understood Polish. He flew many missions with the Squadron, listed in the flight log as a ‘passenger.’ 

Tragically, on one of Ciapek’s missions, the plane never returned and was presumed lost at sea. It seemed Ciapek was killed in action—until months later he reappeared in a nearby town. How he had survived the plunge into the North Sea and the months following remains a mystery. He was identified by his collar, which had the RAF station’s name and small wooden bombs on it—one for each of the missions he had flown on. 

Ciapek stayed with 305 Squadron for a long time, but apparently on the day the squadron was transferred from Bomber Command to 2nd Tactical Air Force (in the autumn of 1943), he suddenly disappeared and was never found--he was listed as "Missing."

He was just one of many furry or feathered companions adopted by fighting units during WWII. These animal friends were popular with the troops and served an important function in helping to maintain morale, because they reminded soldiers of life beyond the battlefield.


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