imalko
Chief Master Sergeant
Picture of Turtle with the Balkenkreuz painted on the shell was already posted on the previous page...
Pilots and their Pets
- Thread starter Njaco
- Start date
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Good shots!
pbfoot
1st Lieutenant
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
In Praise of The Squadron Pooch > Vintage Wings of Canada
- Thread starter
- #64
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
Excellent!
Nice find!
daveT
Senior Airman
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 !)
daveT
Senior Airman
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".
daveT
Senior Airman
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!' "
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!' "
daveT
Senior Airman
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.
'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.
daveT
Senior Airman
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.
• 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.
daveT
Senior Airman
MORE!
Attachments
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Lt. J.J. Schneider with Capt. J.B. Hannon in Korea on Jan. 15, 1951 Between them is Admiration D.jpg -
CaptionPlease.jpg -
dog adopted by 442nd Regimental Medics as mascot posing with Private dog called Wahine means wom.jpg -
Coupie mascot in the Allied Expeditionary Air Force, visits each aircraft and each pilot before .jpg -
Soldiers laying field wire during a simulated gas attack while on maneuvers.jpg -
Crew Chief SSgt Bob Jacobs and Bob check the paerwork by their B-24H 8th AF 1944.jpg -
battlegroundrelics.jpg -
Rin-Rin-Tin-III Medical service men treat dog wounded in action.jpg -
Gunner Dog.jpg -
Major Virgil Fields 31st FG and Monk.bmp
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A German shepherd poses with RAF flyers who bombed Nazi warships. Other popular mascots with the.jpg -
b25poopsie300dpic-1.jpg -
Mascot 'Geordie and 'His' Spitfires, May, 1939.jpg
daveT
Senior Airman
The Dogs of WAR!
I do not know how they determined if the dog was loyal?
I do not know how they determined if the dog was loyal?
Good stuff!
- Thread starter
- #74
Njaco
The Pop-Tart Whisperer
Great additions!! Thanks! Love the one with the cat on the dash!
BikerBabe
Senior Master Sergeant
Wonderful pics, thanks for sharing. 
Here's two - you might know the pilot.
Unknown dog.
With the mascot "Struppi".
Here's two - you might know the pilot.
Unknown dog.
With the mascot "Struppi".
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Glider
Captain
These are good.
daveT
Senior Airman
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
see link
The story of a Czech WW II airman and his remarkable dog - Radio Prague
Glider
Captain
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
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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