Paws in war: The story of Just Nuisance

Just Nuisance was more than likely born in April 1937 in Rondebosch, a suburb in Cape Town. Thus far, he is the only dog ever to have been officially enlisted in the Royal Navy.

He was a Great Dane  and served between 1939 and 1944 at HMS Afrikaner, a Royal Navy shore base in Simon’s Town, South Africa. He died at the age of seven and was buried with full military honours.

Nuisance was bought as a pup by Benjamin Chaney, who later moved to Simons Town to run the United Services Institute (USI), taking Nuisance with him

Nuisance quickly became popular with the ratings, who loved to feed him snacks and take him for walks. He began following the sailors back to the naval base and dockyards, where would lie on the deck of the ships that were moored at the wharf. His favourite place to lie down was at the top of the gangplank.

Since he was a big dog, even for a Great Dane, (he was almost 2 metres tall when standing on his hind legs), he presented a sizeable obstacle for those trying to board or disembark the ships, and thus became affectionately known as “Nuisance”

Nuisance was allowed to roam freely and, following the sailors, he began to take day trips by train as far afield as Cape Town, 35 km away. Despite the seamen’s attempts to conceal him, (good luck with that?), the conductors would put him off the train as soon as he was discovered.

This did not cause the dog any hardship at all.  He would simply wait for another train to come along, or he would walk to the next station and board a train there.

Amused travellers would sometimes offer to pay his fare, but officials of the state-owned railway company (South African Railways and Harbours) eventually warned Chaney that Nuisance would have to be put down unless he was prevented from boarding trains or had his fares paid.

The news that Nuisance was in danger of being put down galvanised many of the sailors and locals to write to the Navy, pleading for a better solution. Although caring passenger offered to buy him a season ticket, naval command decided to enlist him in the Navy instead.

As a member of the armed forces, he would be entitled to free rail travel. This proved to be an excellent idea and for the next few years, his presence aboard the trains was an outstanding morale booster for the troops serving in World War II.

He was enlisted on the 25th of August 1939. His Surname was entered into the records as “Nuisance” and, rather than leaving the forename section blank, he was given the name of “Just”. His trade was listed as “Bone Crusher” and his religious affiliation as “Scrounger”, although,  this was later changed  to the more charitable “Canine Divinity League (Anti-Vivisection)” which qualified him to receive  rations and because of his longstanding “unofficial service”, he was promoted from Ordinary seaman to Able seaman Nuisance

Nuisance never went to sea, but he carried out a number of duties ashore. He accompanied sailors on train journeys and escorted them safely back to base when the pubs closed.

While many of his duties were of his own choosing, he also appeared at promotional events, including his own ‘wedding’ to another Great Dane, Adina. Adina produced five pups, two of which, named Victor and Wilhelmina, were auctioned off in Cape Town to raise funds for the war effort.

Nuisance’s service record was not exemplary. Aside from the offences of travelling on the trains without his free pass, being absent without leave, losing his collar and refusing to leave the pub at closing time, his record shows that he was sentenced to having his allowance of bones removed for seven days “for sleeping in an improper places”, i.e. the bed of one of the petty officers. He also fought with the mascots of other ships which put in at Simon’s Town, causing the death of at least two of them.

Nuisance was involved in a car accident and his resultant injuries caused a thrombosis which gradually paralysed him, therefore, on the 1st of January 1944 he was discharged from the navy on medical grounds and taken to the hospital in Simons Town where, upon the advice of the surgeons, he was put down.

The following day he was taken to the Klawer Camp, where his body was draped with a Royal Naval White Ensign and he was buried with full naval honours, including a gun salute and the playing of the “Last Post”.

A simple granite headstone marks his grave, which is on the top of the hill at Klawer, at the former SA Navy Signal School.

The Simon’s Town Museum has an exhibition dedicated to his story, and since 2000 there has been an annual parade of Great Danes from which a lookalike is selected.

(Source: Wikipedia)

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram