The Small Dog With a Big Personality

by Isabel George

  If he went AWOL for longer than expected and there was not a whisker of a clue to his whereabouts it was time to set up a search party. This wasn’t illogical thinking or wasting soldiers’ time: this was the men looking after one of their own. ‘When you are in a hostile environment the Opposition will look for any way it can to intimidate or disturb you,’ recalled Major Woodrow of the Grenadiers. ‘When I was in Belfast it was not unusual for soldiers on patrol to find one of the strays they had befriended, dead and hung on a wall. This was what we were dealing with all the time. This was the level the Opposition operated on. It was no wonder we feared for Rat’s safety.’

  On the streets Rats received the same treatment as the soldiers – indifference. Children could be unpredictable but by the time the Welsh Guards were on patrol the atmosphere had become slightly less aggressive and it was the children, above all, who warmed to the sight of the soldiers and the dog together. But their attitude could change daily: one day they would stroke Rats, and the next give him a sly kick. Unsurprisingly, Rats’s attitude could be ambivalent too. He was a soldier dog and a lover of the uniform so if he saw a civilian hurt his friends they became his sworn enemy. He protected those who cared for him and he proved time and time again that he was so determined not to leave their side that he literally put his life on the line alongside them. Maybe he knew that they would do the same for him.

  Rats’s fame began to spread. His appearances on television and in the newspapers always brought new fans who couldn’t resist sending their good wishes and gifts to this little star of Northern Ireland. It was not unusual for Rats to receive the bulk of the incoming mail at the Army base. Children sent him toys and their pocket money and pensioners sent their savings with written requests to buy Rats special treats to eat, and warm blankets for his bed. He was the most effective public-relations vehicle the Army could have hoped for at a time when the Troubles were at their height. This was an Irish stray, adopted by British soldiers, turned media-created icon and a symbol of survival.

  By the end of 1979, Rats was more than a local hero: he was an international celebrity, and this time it was thanks to the charity Pro-Dogs and its founder, the late Lesley Scott-Ordish. Awarded the charity’s Gold Medal and crowned Dog of the Year, Rats, once again, stepped into the limelight and this time he took Corporal Lewis and Major Harmsworth with him. When news broke of the award Corporal Lewis was despatched with Rats, Guardsman Parry and two police officers in an unmarked police car to Belfast for a flight to London. They were on their way to a television interview on the BBC programme, Nationwide. Rats stayed at Corporal Lewis’s side, even in make-up, where he made more new friends who couldn’t help fussing over the little hero. Then it was off to a London hotel for the medal ceremony. The medal citation read: ‘For Valour and Devotion to Duty and for the comfort provided to soldiers serving in Crossmaglen’. It was every soldier’s sentiments exactly. The men agreed that no dog was more deserving of this honour than Rats.

  On 9 December 1979, the Gold Medal on its tartan ribbon was placed around Rats’s neck. He gave a bark of thanks and sniffed the other gift, a bone wrapped in silver foil. Not a great fan of normal dog food, Rats decided to leave the bone and save his appetite for the delights of Army food when he returned to barracks in Crossmaglen. Even the dinner following the presentation did not entice Rats to eat, and neither could Corporal Lewis who was sitting next to him. Despite his lack of appetite Rats was his usual cheerful self and he joined in each round of applause with a loud bark. He had been showered specially for the occasion and sparkled before the cameras. This dog was unafraid to face life on the streets of one of the most dangerous places in the world so he was not going to shy away from flash photography as the world’s media gathered to see this Dog of the Year.

  The following day was spent on a photoshoot around London, taking in all the famous landmarks. Rats had to stay on a lead the whole time to stop him running away or, more likely, chasing cars. A flight back to Belfast and then on to Crossmaglen brought the soldiers and the dog back to base.

  As he travelled back home via Belfast, Rats suffered a bout of car sickness. That wasn’t entirely unusual but his bloodshot eyes and downcast look were. Something was wrong. Major Harmsworth arranged for Lewis to take Rats directly to the Army Dog Unit at Long Kesh where the veterinary surgeon was able to attend to him. It appeared that Rats had been bitten by a rat and was suffering the consequences. It would take a small operation and a few days’ rest and recuperation to put Rats back on his feet again. But for a dog at the top of his Army career there was no time to lie around. His public awaited him.

  Rats was now receiving between 200 and 300 letters a day and gifts galore! Media coverage of the medal ceremony had reminded people of this dog’s service in Northern Ireland and his value to the men on the front line. Each letter that was received was answered by a member of the Welsh Guards and a Rats paw print signed each one. As the parcels arrived, Rats was allowed to sniff through each one and out of everything, including the many Christmas cakes, leads, collars, bones and treats, he chose a squeaky duck as his favourite toy. He received two jackets from HQ in Bessbrook – a combat jacket to wear on patrols and a red ceremonial jacket bearing the insignia of the Welsh Guards. Despite many gifts of comfortable dog beds and pillows, Rats still preferred to sleep at the bottom of Corporal Lewis’s bunk. It seemed that old habits died hard for this war dog. ‘Rats was used to the simple pleasures of Army cooking and a dormitory bunk. Despite the many gifts and treats his favourite playtime was with an old sock and his favourite activity of all was being out on patrol with the men,’ said Corporal Lewis. ‘He was a great comfort and a character and such a huge boost to morale. He was always cheerful and nothing got him down. We admired the old dog for that.’

  As the Christmas excitement and media frenzy calmed down it became clear that Rats was unwell. He was still managing his three meals a day and the odd side helping of steak where he could, but there was something not quite right. He was still eager to leap into helicopters though, and he had his own posse of stray dogs to lead around the town. ‘I thought it was very funny to see Rats lead his patrol of dogs down the street as we were leading a patrol. It was as if he was mimicking us after so long serving with us,’ said Lewis. ‘But his love of chasing cars was always something we hated and it was always in the back of our minds that he could take that bad habit too far.’

  One night, not long after Christmas, Rats was out on the streets with his gang of strays when a car came careering down the road and appeared to swerve towards the dogs. Rats was oblivious to what was going on as he was, as usual, absorbed in what he was doing. But a nearby patrol watched as the car ran over one of the dogs and sped off into the night. At first it looked as if Rats had been killed but it was his friend Scruff who was the victim that day. The men who watched the incident were convinced that it was deliberate; after all there was a bounty on Rats’s head. His popularity with the soldiers and public had made him a target for the Opposition, and he was lucky to survive this time.

  It was for these two very good reasons that Major Harmsworth and the Welsh Guards began to think of Rats’s retirement. They did not want to restrict his love of patrolling with the men or taking his place on the helicopters because they believed that would be cruel, but it wasn’t safe to let him carry on. In a way the veterinary surgeon at Long Kesh made the decision easier: Rats was feeling the effects of his old injuries and it was time to stop. And so the decision was taken to medically retire Rats, for his own health and safety.

  In dog years, Rats was somewhere in his late fifties, and X-rays showed that his battle scars included 12 pieces of shrapnel in his little body and various bumps and bruises gained from collisions with vehicles and free-falling from helicopters. Although Rats refused to give in to his body slowing down, it was slowing and one more misjudged leap from a helicopter or one more attempt to dodge a sniper’s bullet could be the last. This hero deserved something better than that. B
ut not before the Welsh Guards had said a fond farewell to the Retiring Member of the Regiment with all the pomp and ceremony they could muster.

  It was on a chill April morning in 1980 that soldier dog Delta 777 bowed out of the Army after a distinguished career. At the time of his retirement Rats was the longest-serving British soldier in Northern Ireland. The parade ground at Pirbright in Surrey glistened with gold brocade highlighting the scarlet tunics of the Prince of Wales’s Company, 1st Battalion, the Welsh Guards. Accompanied by a personal escort and an honour party of four guardsmen, the guest of honour moved forward. The waddle of a walk, the bristling rust-coloured coat and the tinkling of medal on metal heralded the approach of a veteran dog soldier on parade for one last time. Overhead the rumble of a helicopter broke the silence and caught the attention of the Retiring Member. He stopped, looked to the sky and pricked up his ears. Rats picked up a trot as he headed towards the flying beast. With all his old friends there to see him off and wish him well Rats timed his run perfectly and launched himself into the helicopter for the last time. Soldiers with many years’ service under their belt and with images of comrades killed and injured still running in their heads said goodbye to their mascot dog of Cross-maglen with tears in their eyes. This giant amongst mascots had done his time and served loyally and with honour, and richly deserved his special place in so many hearts.

  Rats retired from the British Army and lived another nine happy years with Major Harmsworth and his family in Kent. At the time the location had to be kept a secret to protect the dog from potential harm. Rats remained an IRA target for the rest of his life but it did not stop him enjoying a full and happy retirement as a family pet. He also managed to keep engagements as a canine celebrity, meeting Her Majesty the Queen and the Queen Mother, who were both keen to learn that Rats was enjoying his life in peacetime as much as his life in the Army.

  ‘Rats adapted very well to life as a family dog,’ said Major Harmsworth, ‘but you could never drain away some of his Army living. He remained helicopter-minded, rushing to the top of the hill each time he heard one in the sky. I felt quite sorry when I saw the look of expectancy on his face as if it was going to land just for him.’ So why was this little dog so important to the soldiers in Northern Ireland? What made him so special to so many? ‘I think it was partly because he was a guy you could talk to,’ said Major Harmsworth. ‘We lost a Guardsman on that tour of Northern Ireland and Rats sensed the sadness, our grief. He was good at keying in to human emotion. He was also a constant in an environment that was as uncertain as shifting sand. Rats was solid. He was there for every man.’

  Rats passed away in his sleep. Major Harmsworth found him curled up peacefully in his basket. He was buried in the garden of the family home where a gravestone still stands to honour the life of this extraordinary dog, of no particular breed, who had so much to give to all and always with a smile. A true soldier’s friend.

  Afterword

  Heroism is not a quality confined to human beings. Animals are capable of courage too. Those who doubt even the idea of animal bravery should speak to a Serviceman or woman whose life has been saved by an animal’s actions during conflict. They will tell you that animals are indeed capable of incredible bravery and inspirational devotion to those around them. The dogs covered in this book echo that sentiment loud and clear.

  Delving into books and researching wartime documents is one way to glean a picture of most theatres of conflict. Talking to the veterans who fought those battles adds the colour and the detail to the scene and out of that very often come the stories of the many mascots that were adopted by soldiers, sailors and airmen for one reason or another. In the case of Judy, the Japanese POW dog, her saviour was a young leading aircraftsman, Frank Williams, who one day shared his meagre rice ration with the starving English pointer and in that one gesture of generosity made a friend for life.

  It’s partnerships like the one forged between Judy and Frank Williams that highlight the intense level of devotion that possibly only exists within the confines of war. The dogs presented here all have two things in common: war and their own special ‘owner’. Canadian mascot dog Gander had the entire 1st Battalion of the Royal Rifles of Canada to watch out for him but it was his handler, Fred Kelly, who showered, fed, groomed and looked after the huge, faithful Newfoundland. Rats, the ‘soldier dog’ of Northern Ireland, chose to adopt the soldiers of 42 Commando Royal Marines in 1978 and followed them back to base. But it wasn’t until he met Grenadier Guardsman Sergeant Tim Fielding that Rats (or Rat, as he was to the Grenadiers) selected one man for his partner. The sadness for Rats was the constant change of regiments that necessitated a constant change of friends.

  It’s almost certain that these special partnerships radiate their affection to the benefit of the entire company. In this book, the five dogs directly affected and protected their five owners or handlers, but they also protected every individual they served alongside. For explosives search dogs like Bonnie (and springer spaniel Buster, featured on the cover with his handler Sergeant Danny Morgan), one successful ‘find’ saves not only the lives of the soldiers on duty but the entire population in the vicinity of the search. The skill and bravery of these dogs touches hundreds of lives.

  The telling of these five stories is just a taster; there are thousands of other dogs who have been hailed as heroes over years of warfare, and there are so many stories of canine heroism, and some cases where dogs have been decorated for their bravery in conflict. The PDSA Dickin Medal, recognized as the animals’ Victoria Cross, honours conspicuous bravery in battle. To date 26 dogs have received the award since its institution in 1943. Its most recent recipient, in February 2007, was an explosives search dog called Sadie, awarded for bravery in Afghanistan. The medal is unique, as are all its recipients.

  Heroism appears in many guises, and that includes the four-legged heroes in fur coats. The Dog that Saved My Life is a small tribute to a large contingent of soldier, sailor and airdogs who give their all even when there seems little more to give. They give because they want to and to partners who would risk the same for them in the front line.

  In wartime a dog can be an iconic reminder of the comforts of home, the fireside warmth of family so far away. Dogs, the eternal levellers, the non-judgemental companions capable of bravery beyond the call of duty, can display a quality of character that distinguishes the extraordinary from the ordinary, provides comfort where there is pain and calm where there is confusion. A dog can do all of this by just being – a dog.

  About the Author

  ISABEL GEORGE was born in Shropshire, where her family encouraged her early passion for animals and history. A degree in English and History opened a door to the public relations department of veterinary charity PDSA. Having the opportunity to work with the pet bravery awards and meeting veterans of battles long since fought, the idea for The Dog that Saved My Life was born.

  Isabel now lives on the Shropshire–Staffordshire border with her three children, two hamsters and an almost-human Jack Russell, fox terrier cross called Scrumptious.

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  First published by HarperElement 2010

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  © Isabel George 2010

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  ISBN 978-0-00-733920-4

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