Ganderâs old handler, Fred Kelly, accepted Ganderâs medal from PDSA Chairman Sir Roland Guy. Kelly, gently patting Rimshot, the Newfoundland dog that had been brought in to represent Gander, stated, âItâs an honour just to be able to put my hand on this dog.â 8 Then, with his emotions taking over, Kelly declared, âI only wish that Gander had lived so that I could have taken him home. This is the happiest day of my life.â 9
Jeremy Swanson, who spent over five years researching and documenting Ganderâs story, was equally pleased, stating, âI feel absolutely overjoyed seeing the joy in the faces of those veterans. For me, it marks the successful end of a project that created a new Canadian hero.â 10
Ganderâs Citation
For saving the lives of Canadian Infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions âGanderâ the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters âCâ Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the
Pen and ink sketch of Gander.
Island. Twice âGanderâsâ attacks halted the enemyâs advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without âGanderâsâ intervention many more lives would have been lost in the assault.
The medal was given to the Canadian War Museum for its exhibit on the Defence of Hong Kong. Sadly, the PDSAâs hope that the exhibition of Ganderâs medal would remind generations to come of Canadaâs courageous canine has not been realized.
The medal was exhibited for a time, but has since been removed. At present, Ganderâs story is no longer part of the Hong Kong exhibit at the War Museum, and his PDSA Dickin Medal is kept in a secure vault in the basement of the Museum.
7: Animals at War
The history of military conflict abounds with stories and descriptions of how animals served alongside human combatants. Whether as a much loved mascot providing moral support or a link to home, or as a working animal trained to carry messages, sniff out bombs, or charge into battle with a soldier perched upon its back, animals have been as much a part of military history as the battles themselves. The contributions of these creatures, who never had a choice about whether or not they wanted to âgo off to war,â have been recognized by many of the nations for which they served.
In the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the stone wall at the entrance to the Memorial Chamber in the Parliament buildings has carvings depicting animals and the words, âThe Humble Beasts that Served and Died.â In Lille, France, a statue of a woman with a pigeon sitting in her hands stands as a memorial to all of the carrier pigeons who transported messages during the wars. Great Britain has perhaps the most impressive memorial, The Animals in War Memorial, which was unveiled in 2004 and is located in Hyde Park. The inscription reads, âAnimals in War. This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time. They had no choice.â
As workers, animals have served a multitude of purposes throughout the history of war. Dogs have routinely been used to search for both mines and injured people, and more recently dolphins and sea lions are being trained to search for underwater mines. Mules, camels, elephants, and oxen have traditionally been used for the transport of supplies, while horses have carried both men and supplies into battle. Over eight million horses were killed during the First World War alone. Pigeons were used extensively to carry messages during both World Wars, and in the Second World War over 200,000 were used, with only one in eight ever
Jeremy Swanson, who spent over five years researching and documenting Ganderâs story, was equally pleased, stating, âI feel absolutely overjoyed seeing the joy in the faces of those veterans. For me, it marks the successful end of a project that created a new Canadian hero.â 10
Ganderâs Citation
For saving the lives of Canadian Infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions âGanderâ the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters âCâ Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the
Pen and ink sketch of Gander.
Island. Twice âGanderâsâ attacks halted the enemyâs advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without âGanderâsâ intervention many more lives would have been lost in the assault.
The medal was given to the Canadian War Museum for its exhibit on the Defence of Hong Kong. Sadly, the PDSAâs hope that the exhibition of Ganderâs medal would remind generations to come of Canadaâs courageous canine has not been realized.
The medal was exhibited for a time, but has since been removed. At present, Ganderâs story is no longer part of the Hong Kong exhibit at the War Museum, and his PDSA Dickin Medal is kept in a secure vault in the basement of the Museum.
7: Animals at War
The history of military conflict abounds with stories and descriptions of how animals served alongside human combatants. Whether as a much loved mascot providing moral support or a link to home, or as a working animal trained to carry messages, sniff out bombs, or charge into battle with a soldier perched upon its back, animals have been as much a part of military history as the battles themselves. The contributions of these creatures, who never had a choice about whether or not they wanted to âgo off to war,â have been recognized by many of the nations for which they served.
In the Canadian capital of Ottawa, the stone wall at the entrance to the Memorial Chamber in the Parliament buildings has carvings depicting animals and the words, âThe Humble Beasts that Served and Died.â In Lille, France, a statue of a woman with a pigeon sitting in her hands stands as a memorial to all of the carrier pigeons who transported messages during the wars. Great Britain has perhaps the most impressive memorial, The Animals in War Memorial, which was unveiled in 2004 and is located in Hyde Park. The inscription reads, âAnimals in War. This monument is dedicated to all the animals that served and died alongside British and allied forces in wars and campaigns throughout time. They had no choice.â
As workers, animals have served a multitude of purposes throughout the history of war. Dogs have routinely been used to search for both mines and injured people, and more recently dolphins and sea lions are being trained to search for underwater mines. Mules, camels, elephants, and oxen have traditionally been used for the transport of supplies, while horses have carried both men and supplies into battle. Over eight million horses were killed during the First World War alone. Pigeons were used extensively to carry messages during both World Wars, and in the Second World War over 200,000 were used, with only one in eight ever
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