Page 24 - Chiron Calling Autumn/Winter 2022

War Dog No 471/322 ‘Rob’ Dickin Medal sale
12th October 2022 – Noonan’s of Mayfair
Instituted by Maria Dickin, CBE, the founder of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals,
(PDSA) in 1943, the Dickin Medal has since been awarded on 71 occasions – 32 of them going to pigeons, 34 to dogs, four to horses, and one to a cat. The vast majority (and all those awards to pigeons) were granted in respect of acts of bravery in the Second World War, but more recently a number of awards have been made to Arms and Explosives Search Dogs of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps for their gallantry in Iraq and Afghanistan.
PDSA DICKIN MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY AWARDED
8 FEBRUARY 1945
The accompanying PDSA and Allied Forces Mascot Club (AFMC) certificate states: ‘This is to certify that Rob, War Dog No 471/322 has been awarded the Dickin Medal for Gallantry for outstanding service including 20 parachute descents while serving with Infantry in North Africa and SAS Regiment in Italy. Signed M E Dickin (Founder).
discovered, and thereby captured or killed. The Dog has made over 20 parachute descents.’
Rob, a black-and-white collie- retriever, was bought as a puppy in 1939 for five shillings and lived his early years with the Bayne family of Tetchill, Ellesmere, Shropshire, as their farm dog and pet. When Rob was still a small puppy, he went on an exploration beyond
the boundaries of Tetchill and
the boy and a dog who roamed the Shropshire fields together should both have received the highest honour.
At the time of receiving the award, his owner, Edward Bayne, told the Oban Times how caring he had been as a farm dog: ‘He used to help settle the chicks in their houses at night, picking them up in his mouth when they had strayed away – he had a wonderful mouth – and tucking them in under their mothers.
’The Baynes’ son, Basil, had learnt to walk by holding onto Rob’s tail or clutching his coat, and if the child was crying Rob put his front paws up on the pram, soothed him and made him laugh.
Rob’s owners volunteered him as a War Dog in 1942 and he was signed up on 19th May of that year.
Following action in the North Africa campaign, from September 1943 Rob served with the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS), the first war dog to do so. With the regiment, he took part in operations in Italy, parachuting in on sabotage missions. According to official War
Inscription to the reverse reads: ‘War Dog No 471/322 “Rob” took part in the landings in the North African campaign with
an Infantry
unit. Since
September
1943, he has
served with
a Special Air
Force Regiment
and took part
in operations
with that Unit in Italy, most of which were of an unpleasant nature. He was used as patrol and guard over small parties who were lying up in enemy occupied territory.
There is no doubt that his presence with these parties saved many of them from being
was brought home by John Brunt, then
a schoolboy
at Ellesmere College. John became a frequent visitor, taking Rob for walks when
time allowed. After leaving college John joined the army and led a distinguished career until he was killed in action. On the day that Rob received the ‘animal VC’, it was announced that John had been posthumously awarded the VC, a strange but sad coincidence that
He used to help settle the chicks in their houses at night, picking them up in his mouth when they had strayed away
22 / Chiron Calling