Paws in Wars: Judy
Paws in Wars is a weekly series about the brave dogs who served their countries under fire.
Judy was a pure-bred liver and white pointer. She was born in a dog kennel in Shanghai, China in 1936. She had managed to escape as a puppy, but was captured and kept in a back alley by a shopkeeper until she was six months old.
Following an altercation between the shopkeeper and some sailors from a Japanese Navy gunboat, she was recognised by a worker from the kennels and returned there. The puppy was originally called Shudi, which was later anglicised to Judy.
ALSO READ: Paws in Wars – Sergeant Stubby
From 1936 until 1950, Judy was a ship’s dog serving on two ships, namely the HMS Grasshopper and the HMS Gnat, before and during World War II.
She helped save the lives of the crew of the Grasshopper following the sinking of the ship, and once was captured by the Japanese. During her interment, Judy aided the men in the prisoner-of-war camp by keeping up their morale.
Judy took a particular liking to Frank Williams, with whom she was to spend the rest of her life.
In the autumn of 1936, the crew of the Insect class gunboat the HMS Gnat voted to adopt a ship’s mascot. This was due in part to the competitive nature of the gunboats, with HMS Bee, Cicada and Cricket already having mascots of their own.
The Captain and the Chief Bosons’ mate, Lt. Cmdr. J. Waldergrave and Chief Petty Officer Charles Jeffrey, purchased Judy from the kennels where she was kept and presented her to the crew.
It was hoped to train Judy as a gundog, but alas, the men treated her like a pet and from her first day aboard, Jeffery’s log stated that “Our chances of making Judy a trained gundog are very slim indeed!”
Judy was the only dog to be registered as a Second World War prisoner who had survived for a time in the jungles of Sumatra, after the guards in the camp had sentenced her to death.
Following the war, she came to Britain with Williams and was awarded the Dickin Medal by the PDSA, which is considered to be the animals’ VC.
(Source: Wikipedia).
Next week we delve into Judy’s war record.
Paws in Wars is a weekly series about the brave dogs who served their countries under fire.
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