Rob (dog)
Encyclopedia
Rob was a Collie
dog who in 1945 was awarded the Dickin Medal
, considered to be the animals' Victoria Cross
. He was alleged to have made over 20 parachute descents during the North African Campaign, serving with the SAS
. However in 2006, his actions were revealed as being a possible hoax perpetrated by members of his regiment in order to prevent Rob leaving after his original owners requested his return.
on a farm in Shropshire
until 1942, when his owners, Basil and Heather Bayne, enlisted him as a war dog
. Assigned to the Special Air Service
at the base in Wivenhoe Park
, Essex
, Rob's official designation was war dog No 471/322. He was used as a messenger and a guard dog
. When the troops based there departed for Arnhem
in the Netherlands, he was not allowed on the ship and so was forced to stay behind.
' autobiographical
account of his time in the 2nd SAS
, Who Cares Who Wins?, the actions which led to Rob's Dickin Medal were in fact a hoax. He reported that instead of completing parachute drops as reported, the dog acted as a companion to the regiment quartermaster
, Tom Burt.
Hughes wrote that when hearing that the family which donated Rob to the Army Veterinary and Remount Services had requested the dog back, he and Burt worked together to keep Rob by exaggerating his exploits. At one point they attempted to carry out a parachute jump with Rob but weather conditions were unfavourable and they couldn't follow through with the jump as Hughes wrote, "We had a suitable parachute harness and I phoned through to the RAF and made arrangements for Rob to have a short flight, unfortunately, quite a strong wind blew up during the flight and the RAF decided it would be dangerous to drop Rob on that day." They had hoped to send a letter to his owners following the successful drop, and after the failure decided to send it anyway. Rob's owners passed the letter about the dog's actions to the PDSA, resulting in Rob's Dickin Medal in January 1945. Although Hughes died in 2004, the possibility of a hoax wasn't revealed until 2006 when a painting of Rob was featured in an exhibition entitled "The Animals War" at the Imperial War Museum
in London. According to Hughes' friend Mickey King remembers the author discussing the incident, "Quentin said that nobody survived 20 parachute drops, let alone a dog. You were lucky to survive three."
A children's book
has been written about Rob, entitled Rob the Paradog, written by Dorothy Nicholle and published by Blue Hills Press.
Collie
The collie is a distinctive type of herding dog, including many related landraces and formal breeds. It originates in Scotland and Northern England. It is a medium-sized, fairly lightly built dog with a pointed snout, and many types have a distinctive white pattern over the shoulders. Collies...
dog who in 1945 was awarded the Dickin Medal
Dickin Medal
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue...
, considered to be the animals' Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. He was alleged to have made over 20 parachute descents during the North African Campaign, serving with the SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
. However in 2006, his actions were revealed as being a possible hoax perpetrated by members of his regiment in order to prevent Rob leaving after his original owners requested his return.
Early life and military service
Rob was a working dogWorking dog
A working dog refers to a canine working animal, i.e., a type of dog that is not merely a pet but learns and performs tasks to assist and/or entertain its human companions, or a breed of such origin...
on a farm in Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
until 1942, when his owners, Basil and Heather Bayne, enlisted him as a war dog
War dog
Dogs in warfare have a long history starting in ancient times. From 'war dogs' trained in combat to their use as scouts, sentries and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.-History:...
. Assigned to the Special Air Service
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
at the base in Wivenhoe Park
Wivenhoe Park
Wivenhoe Park, located on the Eastern edge of Colchester is a multi-acre landscaped green space.Until the 1960s its main claim to fame was that it was the setting for one of Constable's landscape paintings. From the 1960s onwards, however, it has been home to the University of Essex. The park is...
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, Rob's official designation was war dog No 471/322. He was used as a messenger and a guard dog
Guard dog
A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...
. When the troops based there departed for Arnhem
Arnhem
Arnhem is a city and municipality, situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is the capital of the province of Gelderland and located near the river Nederrijn as well as near the St. Jansbeek, which was the source of the city's development. Arnhem has 146,095 residents as one of the...
in the Netherlands, he was not allowed on the ship and so was forced to stay behind.
Dickin Medal
Rob received his medal in London on 3 February 1945. The citation read "For service including 20 parachute jumps while serving with Infantry in North Africa and SAS Regiment in Italy." Rob won other medals for bravery, including an RSPCA silver medal.Hoax
According to Quentin HughesQuentin Hughes
Quentin Hughes was a British SAS officer during World War II who became an architect and academic. He was influential in the preservation of Liverpool's Victorian and Edwardian architectural heritage.-Early life:...
' autobiographical
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
account of his time in the 2nd SAS
Special Air Service
Special Air Service or SAS is a corps of the British Army constituted on 31 May 1950. They are part of the United Kingdom Special Forces and have served as a model for the special forces of many other countries all over the world...
, Who Cares Who Wins?, the actions which led to Rob's Dickin Medal were in fact a hoax. He reported that instead of completing parachute drops as reported, the dog acted as a companion to the regiment quartermaster
Quartermaster
Quartermaster refers to two different military occupations depending on if the assigned unit is land based or naval.In land armies, especially US units, it is a term referring to either an individual soldier or a unit who specializes in distributing supplies and provisions to troops. The senior...
, Tom Burt.
Hughes wrote that when hearing that the family which donated Rob to the Army Veterinary and Remount Services had requested the dog back, he and Burt worked together to keep Rob by exaggerating his exploits. At one point they attempted to carry out a parachute jump with Rob but weather conditions were unfavourable and they couldn't follow through with the jump as Hughes wrote, "We had a suitable parachute harness and I phoned through to the RAF and made arrangements for Rob to have a short flight, unfortunately, quite a strong wind blew up during the flight and the RAF decided it would be dangerous to drop Rob on that day." They had hoped to send a letter to his owners following the successful drop, and after the failure decided to send it anyway. Rob's owners passed the letter about the dog's actions to the PDSA, resulting in Rob's Dickin Medal in January 1945. Although Hughes died in 2004, the possibility of a hoax wasn't revealed until 2006 when a painting of Rob was featured in an exhibition entitled "The Animals War" at the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
in London. According to Hughes' friend Mickey King remembers the author discussing the incident, "Quentin said that nobody survived 20 parachute drops, let alone a dog. You were lucky to survive three."
Later life
Following his military service, he returned to his owners in Tetchill, Shropshire. He died in 1952 and was buried on the family farm, marked with a stone memorial which reads: "To the dear memory of Rob, war dog no 471/322, twice VC, Britain's first parachute dog, who served three and a half years in North Africa and Italy with the Second Special Air Service Regiment. Died 18th January 1952 aged 12 1/2 years. Erected by Basil and Heather Bayne in memory of a faithful friend and playmate 1939–1952."A children's book
Children's literature
Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...
has been written about Rob, entitled Rob the Paradog, written by Dorothy Nicholle and published by Blue Hills Press.