Bing (1942–44 – October 1955) was a dog who received the

Dickin Medal The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried o ...

in 1947 from the

People's Dispensary for Sick Animals The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) is a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1917 by Maria Dickin to provide care for sick and injured animals of the poor. It is the UK's leading veterinary charity, carrying ...

for bravery in service during the Second World War. An Alsatian and Collie cross, Bing (originally named "Brian") was given to the army in 1944 when his owners, the Fetch family from Loughborough in

Leicestershire Leicestershire ( ; postal abbreviation Leics.) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East Midlands, England. The county borders Nottinghamshire to the north, Lincolnshire to the north-east, Rutland to the east, Northamptonshire t ...

, were no longer able to feed him due to rationing. He was trained at the Army War Dog Training School near Potters Bar in

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

.Bing the Paradog on ParaData
On joining the army Bing was given the number 2720/6871 and first saw action with his handler and trainer Lance Corporal Ken Bailey in a reconnaissance platoon with the

13th Parachute Battalion The 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army during the Second World War. The battalion was formed in May 1943 by the conversion of the 2/4th Battalion, Sou ...

, part of the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being t ...

, over Normandy on

D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...

on 6 June 1944. He had to be 'helped' out of the airplane with a piece of meat before landing in a tree and having to be rescued; later he was wounded in action. His injuries were treated at the Vet Kennels near

Stockport Stockport is a town and borough in Greater Manchester, England, south-east of Manchester, south-west of Ashton-under-Lyne and north of Macclesfield. The River Goyt and Tame merge to create the River Mersey here. Most of the town is within ...

. Bing was trained to locate the enemy and protect military personnel, and served in France until September 1944. On 24 March 1945 Bing dropped over the Rhine with his new handler Corporal 'Jack' Walton, and took part in Operation Varsity, Operation Plunder and the advance into Germany. After the war he was returned to the Fetch family. On his death in 1955 his skin and fur were mounted for display while the rest of his remains were buried in the PDSA Animal Cemetery in Ilford in Essex. The book ''The Amazing Adventures of Bing the Parachuting Dog'' about his life was published in 2012. The Dickin Medal is often referred to as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

References

External links

PDSA Dickin Medal, including "Roll of Honor" PDF
German shepherds Individual dogs Dogs in warfare Military animals of World War II British Army personnel of World War II Individual dogs awarded the Dickin Medal {{dog-stub

See also

References

External links