Gander was a quintessentially Canadian dog, the Newfoundland, who began life as a family pet named Pal. Shortly after Canada entered World War II, Pal accidentally injured a small child. Fearing he would be put down as a result, his family offered him for National Service. He was attached to the Royal Rifle Regiment at Gander, Newfoundland, and he was renamed after the location. We see him above marching (in step) with the regimental band.
The Royal Rifle Regiment was sent to defend Hong Kong in the fall of 1941,
and above we see Gander and some buddies on the ship that took them there.
When the Japanese attacked on December 8, 1941, Gander joined in the defense of Hong Kong Island. On three documented occasions, he helped his human comrades in repelling Japanese attacks. During the first two assaults, he joined in counterattacks and defended groups of wounded soldiers. In the final attack, he sacrificed himself by taking an enemy grenade in his mouth and carrying it away from seven Canadians who would have been killed or badly wounded otherwise. After the battle Japanese interrogators asked prisoners if Canada was training large numbers of dogs like Gander. He was posthumously awarded the canine equivalent of the Victoria Cross, and his medal is in a place of honor at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Gander, at the inistence of the battle's survivors, is officially listed among the 1,975 individuals killed there.
The artwork above is by Anne Mainman, and below, I'm posting the Red Ensign,
the flag that Gander and so many other brave Canadians fought and died for.
No comments:
Post a Comment