Bing (1942–44 – October 1955) was a dog who received the

Dickin Medal The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried ...

in 1947 from the

People's Dispensary for Sick Animals The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) is a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1917 by Maria Dickin to provide care for sick and injured animals of the poor. It is the UK's leading veterinary charity, carryi ...

for bravery in service during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. An Alsatian and

Collie Collies form a distinctive type of herding dogs, including many related landraces and standardized breeds. The type originated in Scotland and Northern England. Collies are medium-sized, fairly lightly-built dogs, with pointed snouts. Man ...

cross, Bing (originally named "Brian") was given to the army in 1944 when his owners, the Fetch family from

Loughborough Loughborough ( ) is a market town in the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England, the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and Loughborough University. At the 2011 census the town's built-up area had a population of 59,932 , the second lar ...

in Leicestershire, were no longer able to feed him due to rationing. He was trained at the Army War Dog Training School near

Potters Bar Potters Bar is a town in Hertfordshire, England,in the historic County of Middlesex Hertsmere Borough Council – Community Strategy First Review (PDF) north of central London. In 2011, it had a population of 21,882. In 2022 the population wa ...

in Hertfordshire.Bing the Paradog on ParaData
On joining the army Bing was given the number 2720/6871 and first saw action with his handler and trainer Lance Corporal Ken Bailey in a reconnaissance platoon with the

13th Parachute Battalion The 13th (Lancashire) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army during the Second World War. The battalion was formed in May 1943 by the conversion of the 2/4th Battalion, Sou ...

, part of the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an Airborne forces, airborne infantry Division (military), division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British ...

, over Normandy on D-Day on 6 June 1944. He had to be 'helped' out of the airplane with a piece of meat before landing in a tree and having to be rescued; later he was wounded in action. His injuries were treated at the Vet Kennels near Stockport. Bing was trained to locate the enemy and protect military personnel, and served in France until September 1944. On 24 March 1945 Bing dropped over the

Rhine The Rhine ; french: Rhin ; nl, Rijn ; wa, Rén ; li, Rien; rm, label=Sursilvan, Rein, rm, label=Sutsilvan and Surmiran, Ragn, rm, label=Rumantsch Grischun, Vallader and Puter, Rain; it, Reno ; gsw, Rhi(n), including in Alsatian dialect, Al ...

with his new handler Corporal 'Jack' Walton, and took part in

Operation Varsity Operation Varsity (24 March 1945) was a successful airborne forces operation launched by Allied troops that took place toward the end of World War II. Involving more than 16,000 paratroopers and several thousand aircraft, it was the largest a ...

Operation Plunder Operation Plunder was a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of 23 March 1945, launched by the 21st Army Group under Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. The crossing of the river was at Rees, Wesel, and south of the river Lip ...

and the advance into Germany. After the war he was returned to the Fetch family. On his death in 1955 his skin and fur were

mounted Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

for display while the rest of his remains were buried in the PDSA Animal Cemetery in Ilford in

Essex Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and G ...

. The book ''The Amazing Adventures of Bing the Parachuting Dog'' about his life was published in 2012. The Dickin Medal is often referred to as the animal equivalent of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

References

External links

PDSA Dickin Medal, including "Roll of Honor" PDF
German shepherds Individual dogs Dogs in warfare Military animals of World War II British Army personnel of World War II Individual dogs awarded the Dickin Medal {{dog-stub

See also

References

External links