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PDSA DICKIN MEDAL AWARDED IN 1949 TO 'TICH' A
BLACK MONGREL TERRIER
This month’s object features the PDSA Dickin Medal
awarded in 1949 to a black Egyptian mongrel bitch
terrier called ‘Tich’ for loyalty, courage and devotion
to duty under hazardous conditions of war between 1941
and 1945 while serving with 1st Battalion, The King’s
Royal Rifle Corps (1 KRRC), in North Africa and Italy.
It is the only Dickin Medal owned by the Museum.
On 24 April 2009 a Dickin Medal awarded to ‘Rip’, a
homeless stray dog who became a Second World War hero by
saving the lives of 100 air-raid victims during the
Blitz, fetched £24,250 at auction. |
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Background
PDSA’s founder, Maria Dickin, introduced the PDSA Dickin
Medal in 1943. It is awarded to animals displaying
conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty while serving
or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or
Civil Defence units, and is the animals’ equivalent to
the Victoria Cross.
The medal, which is made of bronze, is embossed with the
words For Gallantry and WE ALSO SERVE. The reverse is
inscribed with details of the recipient. It is suspended
from a ribbon of dark green, dark brown and pale blue,
symbolic of the naval, military, civil defence and air
forces. To date (1 May 2009) there have been 62 awards
of the PDSA Dickin Medal to 32 pigeons, 26 dogs, three
horses and one cat.
‘Tich’ was adopted by 1 KRRC during the fighting in the
Western Desert in 1941. When the Battalion reached
Algiers in 1943, ‘Tich’ was placed in the care of
Rifleman Thomas Walker, accompanying him on the front
line usually on the bonnet of a Bren gun carrier or
stretcher jeep.
During the fighting in Italy Rifleman Walker, a ‘medic’,
was awarded the Military Medal for a number of actions
in which he either rescued or tended to injured men
while under fire. On every occasion ‘Tich’ remained by
his side, being wounded on a number of occasions, once
very seriously.
Newspaper reports described ‘Tich’ as the brave dog of
an outstandingly brave man. In recommending ‘Tich’ for
the Dickin Medal, 1 KRRC’s commanding officer,
Lieutenant-Colonel E.A.W. Williams, wrote: ‘Her courage
and devotion to duty were of very real and considerable
value and her courageous example materially helped many
men to keep their heads and sense of proportion in times
of extreme danger. The sight of her put heart in the men
as she habitually rode on the bonnet of her master’s
jeep and refused to leave her post even when bringing in
wounded under heavy fire.’
The Battalion’s Chaplain also said of ‘Tich’ that: ‘She
can leap on to any type of truck or vehicle, will howl
like a wolf, will cry, will remain standing against a
wall until told to move. She will also smoke cigarettes,
and never eat or drink until ordered to do so by her
owner.’
During her life ‘Tich’ gave birth to 15 puppies. After
the War she lived with ex-Rifleman Walker in Newcastle,
taking part with him in fund-raising activities for PDSA.
‘Tich’ died in 1959 and is buried alongside many other
PDSA Dickin Medal recipients in the charity’s pet
cemetery at Ilford.
For more information about the Dickin Medal visit:
http://www.pdsa.org.uk/animalbraveryawards.html
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