Jet of Iada

Jet was born in Liverpool in the Iada kennel of Mrs Babcock Cleaver in July 1942. He was a black German Shepherd Dog, and in the kennel was initially called Jett, with his full pedigree name being Jet of Iada. He was loaned to be trained at the War Dogs School in Gloucester from the age of nine months, where he was trained in anti-sabotage work.{{cite web|title=Jet of Iada |url=http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/online/exhibitions/dogs/jet.asp |publisher=Liverpool Museums |access-date=11 October 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309223441/http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/online/exhibitions/dogs/jet.asp |archive-date= 9 March 2010 }}{{cite news|title=In Pictures: Heroic Dogs|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/8688540.stm|access-date=11 October 2010|newspaper=BBC News|date=17 May 2010}} Following eighteen months work on airfields performing anti-sabotage duties he was returned to the school for further training in search and rescue duties where he was partnered with Corporal Wardle.

They were relocated to London. Corporal Wardle and Jet were the first handler and dog to be used in an official capacity in Civil Defence rescue duties.

He was awarded the Dickin Medal on 12 January 1945 for saving the lives of over fifty people trapped in bombed buildings.{{cite book|last=McIntyre-Brown|first=Arabella|title=Liverpool: the First 1,000 years |year=2001|publisher=Garlic Press Publishing Ltd|isbn=978-1-904099-00-0|page=106|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lZpv_5a7sNUC&q=jet+dickin+medal&pg=PA106}} The dedication read "For being responsible for the rescue of persons trapped under blitzed buildings while serving with the Civil Defence Services of London."{{cite book|last=Walker|first=Robyn|title=Sergeant Gander: A Canadian Hero|year=2009|publisher=Natural Heritage Books|isbn=978-1-55488-463-6|pages=97|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2G9D7uuTnkC&q=jet+dickin+medal&pg=PA97}} Following the war, he was returned to his owner in Liverpool. The Dickin Medal is often referred to as the animal metaphorical equivalent of the Victoria Cross.{{cite book|last1=Long|first1=David|title=The animals' VC: for gallantry and devotion: the PDSA Dickin Medal - inspiring stories of bravery and courage|date=2012|publisher=Preface|location=London|isbn=9781848093768|ref=long2012|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/animalsvcforgall0000long}}

On 15 August 1947, an explosion occurred in the William Pit near Whitehaven, Cumbria. Dogs trained in body recovery work were unavailable, so two dogs were sent from the RAF Police Dog School at Staverton, and Jet was collected from his owner on the journey north.{{cite web|last=Bryan|first=A. M.|title=Extracts from the Report on the Causes of, and Circumstances attending, the Explosion which occurred on the 15th. August 1947.|url=http://www.dmm.org.uk/pitwork/html/willpit.htm|access-date=11 October 2010}}{{cite news|title=Dogs Help in Death Pit Search|url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000324/19470819/014/0001|access-date=13 September 2014|work=Hull Daily Mail|issue=19267|publisher=British Newspaper Archive|date=19 August 1947|url-access=subscription }} After his efforts helped save the rescuers he was awarded the RSPCA's Medallion of Valor.

There is a memorial to Jet in the English flower garden of Calderstones Park, Liverpool near where he is buried.{{cite web|title=Jet of Iada|url=http://www.ukniwm.org.uk/server/show/conMemorial.15397/fromUkniwmSearch/1|work=UK National Inventory of War Memorials|access-date=11 October 2010}} This memorial was cleaned in July 2016 by pupils of Childwall Church of England Primary School and The Reader in celebration of Jet's Birthday. Also in attendance was 93 year old Lilias Ward (née Cleaver) Jet's former owner.{{cite web|title=New Generation of Fans for Jet the Dog|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/new-generation-fans-jet-dog-11620076|work=Liverpool Echo|access-date=15 September 2015}}...

{{Ahnentafel

|1 = Jet of Iada

|2 = Jamie of Eggerness

|3 = Iada Dilah of Lilias

|4 = Heroson of Kings

|5 = Beauty of Haddon

|6 = Horst of Dundator

|7 = Jubilee of Stoneycroft

|8 = Hero of Picardy

|9 = Fanny of Ceara

|10 = Ch. Janitor of Picardy

|11 = Soceress of Haddon

|12 = Ch. Dolf of Ceara

|13 = Deirdre of Dundator

|14 = Ch. Chief of Chorltonville

|15 = Jetta of Dysbrook

|16 = Int Ch. Cara V. Blasunberg of Welham

|17 = Cillallah of Picardy

|18 = Int Ch. Dovar V. Overstoyler of GD

|19 = Ch. Welham Susi V. Boll

|20 = Allei of Picardy

|21 = Beda V. Anderton of Picardy

|22 = Dominant of Picardy

|23 = Rola V. Haus Shutting

|24 = Ch. Armin Ernalieb

|25 = Int Ch. Seffe Von Blasienburg

|26 = Ch. Benigh of Picardy

|27 = Abba of Dundator

|28 = Billo V. Amerbach

|29 = Ali of Chorltonville

|30 = Ch. Odin of Penyghent

|31 = Citah of Dysbrook}}

Jet's Family Tree

• List of individual dogs

{{reflist|2}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140924092934/http://www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards/pdsa-dickin-medal PDSA Dickin Medal, including "Roll of Honor" PDF]

{{Dickin Medal}}

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Category:Individual dogs

Category:German shepherds

Category:Recipients of the Dickin Medal

Category:1942 animal births

Category:1949 animal deaths

Category:Detection dogs