Rob (dog)
{{Short description|Collie dog, Dickin medal recipient}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox animal
| name = Rob
| image = Rob para dog.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Rob with his Dickin Medal and SAS troopers, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, September 1945
| birth_name =
| othername =
| species = Dog
| breed = Collie
| gender = Male
| birth_date = 1939
| birth_place =
| death_date = 18 January 1952
| death_place = Tetchill, Shropshire
| resting_place =
| resting_place_coordinates =
| relativeage =
| nationality = British
| occupation =
| employer = Special Air Service
| role = Military Dog
| years_active =
| known =
| tricks =
| awards = Dickin Medal
RSPCA silver medal
| title =
| owner = Basil and Heather Bayne
| parents =
| children =
| weight =
| height =
}}
Rob (1939 – 18 January 1952) was a Collie dog who in February 1945 was awarded the Dickin Medal,{{cite web|url=http://www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards/dickin-medal-dogs#awards-made-between-2000-ndash-to-date |title=Dickin Medal dogs |publisher=People's Dispensary for Sick Animals |access-date=14 September 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100212182318/http://www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards/dickin-medal-dogs |archive-date=12 February 2010}} considered to be the animals' Victoria Cross. He was alleged to have made over 20 parachute descents during the North African Campaign, serving with the SAS. Basil Bayne, son of Rob's owners, understands that most of the parachute jumps were demonstration jumps. The last demonstration jump was planned to take place in Wales. Jumps on Active Service are believed to have taken place in Italy.
Following the accusation that Rob's service was a hoax, the PDSA was contacted by the Baynes to verify the award of the Dickin medal. Upon consulting their records, the PDSA verified the award.
Early life and military service
Rob was a working dog on a farm in Shropshire until 1942, when his owners, Basil and Heather Bayne, enlisted him as a war dog. Assigned to the Special Air Service at the base in Wivenhoe Park, Essex, Rob's official designation was war dog No 471/322.{{Cite web | url = http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2277684.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080830080135/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2277684.html | url-status = dead | archive-date = 30 August 2008 |title = War heroics were a shaggy dog story| work=The Times |date=20 July 2006|access-date=5 March 2011|first=Jack|last=Malvern}} He was used as a messenger and a guard dog.
Dickin Medal
Rob received his medal in London on 3 February 1945. The citation read "For service including 20 parachute jumps while serving with Infantry in North Africa and SAS Regiment in Italy." Rob won other medals for bravery, including an RSPCA silver medal for Valour.{{cite book|last=O'Neill|first=Amanda|title=Dogbiz|year=2006|page=71|publisher=Interpet Publishing|isbn=978-1-84286-136-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wst9BSbWuY8C&q=rob+dickin+medal&pg=PA71}} 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}}
=Hoax=
According to Quentin Hughes' autobiographical account of his time in the 2nd SAS, Who Cares Who Wins?, the actions which led to Rob's Dickin Medal were a hoax. He reported that instead of completing parachute drops as reported, the dog acted as a companion to the regiment quartermaster, Tom Burt.{{Cite web | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1524456/SAS-reports-of-canine-heroics-just-a-shaggy-dog-story.html | newspaper = Daily Telegraph| accessdate=5 March 2011 | date = 21 July 2006|title = SAS reports of canine heroics 'just a shaggy dog story' | first = Richard|last=Alleyne}}
Lll
Hughes wrote that when hearing that the family which donated Rob to the Army Veterinary and Remount Services had requested the dog back, he and Burt worked together to keep Rob by exaggerating his exploits. At one point they attempted to carry out a parachute jump with Rob but weather conditions were unfavourable and they could not follow through with the jump as Hughes wrote, "We had a suitable parachute harness and I phoned through to the RAF and made arrangements for Rob to have a short flight, unfortunately, quite a strong wind blew up during the flight and the RAF decided it would be dangerous to drop Rob on that day." They had planned to send a letter to his owners following the successful drop, and after the failure decided to send it anyway. Rob's owners passed the letter about the dog's actions to the PDSA, resulting in Rob's Dickin Medal in January 1945. Although Hughes died in 2004, the possibility of a hoax was not revealed until 2006 when a painting of Rob was featured in an exhibition entitled "The Animals' War" at the Imperial War Museum in London. According to Hughes' friend Mickey King, who remembered the author discussing the incident, "Quentin said that nobody survived 20 parachute drops, let alone a dog. You were lucky to survive three."
=Sold at Auction=
Rob's Dickin Medal (along with associated photographs, supporting materials including a draft manuscript of an unpublished book by Mrs Bayne) was sold by auction at Noonans Mayfair in London for a record price of £140,000 (plus 24% buyer's premium) on 12 October 2022.{{Cite web | url = https://www.noonans.co.uk/auctions/archive/lot-archive/results/434994/ |title = Lot 412, 12 October 2022| work=Noonans Mayfair |access-date=12 October 2022}}
Later life
Following his military service, he returned to his owners in Tetchill, near Ellesmere, Shropshire. He died in 1952 and was buried on the family farm, marked with a stone memorial which reads:{{cite book|last=Toms|first=Jan|title=Animal Graves and Memorials|year=2006|publisher=Shire Publications Ltd|isbn=978-0-7478-0643-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iGW2YkGWAdAC&q=rob+dickin+medal&pg=PA61}} {{quote|To the dear memory of Rob, war dog no 471/322, twice VC, Britain's first parachute dog, who served three and a half years in North Africa and Italy with the Second Special Air Service Regiment. Died 18th January 1952 aged 12 1/2 years. Erected by Basil and Heather Bayne in memory of a faithful friend and playmate 1939–1952.}}
In literature
A children's book has been written about Rob, entitled Rob the Paradog, written by Dorothy Nicholle and published by Blue Hills Press.{{cite web|title=Books for children|url=http://bluehillspress.co.uk/childrens_books.html|work=Blue Hills Press|accessdate=5 March 2011}}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
See also
Notes
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [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:Hoaxes in the United Kingdom
Category:Individual dogs awarded the Dickin Medal