Post by Aussienot on Jan 26, 2007 18:05:33 GMT -5
By Thomas Harding, Defence Correspondent
Last Updated: 3:55pm GMT 26/01/2007
A black Labrador that saved the lives of dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan by sniffing out a bomb has been awarded the D_ickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
Sadie will become only the 25th canine recipient when she receives the medal from Princess Alexandra at a ceremony next week. The award has been made after The Daily Telegraph reported Sadie's bravery last year when the animal detected a pressure cooker packed with TNT on the other side of a two-foot thick concrete blast wall.
The device had been planted under sandbags yards from where a suicide car bombing had earlier killed a German soldier outside the United Nations headquarters in Kabul in November 2005. Leaving a second bomb is a classic terrorist tactic.
About 200 people, including British, American, German and Greek soldiers were within range of the device. Sadie, eight, and her handler L/Cpl Karen Yardley, had been called to check for secondary devices after the car bombing.
The booby-trap was discovered when Sadie suddenly "showed intention" by wagging her tail as L/Cpl Yardley, 27, took her on a search of the UN car park.
"I looked at my colleague who was with another dog and he was off running and shouting at everyone to leave the area," said L/Cpl Yardley, of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
Bomb disposal experts used a robot to make the device safe. "Me and my colleagues are extremely proud of Sadie," said L/Cpl Yardley. "She definitely saved lives that day and she certainly saved my life." Sadie has already served in Bosnia and Iraq and is part of 102 Military Working Dog Support Unit based in Sennelager, Germany.
The D_ickin Medal has only previously been awarded to 60 animals. It is the highest award any animal can receive in recognition of conspicuous gallantry while serving in military conflict.
The medal will also be awarded posthumously to, Lucky, a German Shepherd RAF Police tracker dog, on behalf of the four RAF tracker dogs that tirelessly worked in the Malayan jungle between 1949 and 1952.
During the Malaya Campaign, Lucky and his canine colleagues, Bobbie, Jasper and Lassie were instrumental in the capture of hundreds of communist terrorists including, in 1951, the notorious gang leader Lan-Jang-San, who was responsible to the deaths of scores of civilians.
Marilyn Rydström, of the PDSA, said: "The Medal is recognised throughout the world as the animals' Victoria Cross and is the highest award any animal can receive for bravery in the line of duty. Sadie and Lucky are, without doubt, worthy recipients."
Since the introduction of the award by PDSA's founder Maria boy thingyin CBE in 1943 it has been awarded to 24 dogs, 32 World War II messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat.
Telegraph.co.uk
editor's note: d_ickin used to prevent it being posted as the boythingy medal
Last Updated: 3:55pm GMT 26/01/2007
A black Labrador that saved the lives of dozens of soldiers in Afghanistan by sniffing out a bomb has been awarded the D_ickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
Sadie will become only the 25th canine recipient when she receives the medal from Princess Alexandra at a ceremony next week. The award has been made after The Daily Telegraph reported Sadie's bravery last year when the animal detected a pressure cooker packed with TNT on the other side of a two-foot thick concrete blast wall.
The device had been planted under sandbags yards from where a suicide car bombing had earlier killed a German soldier outside the United Nations headquarters in Kabul in November 2005. Leaving a second bomb is a classic terrorist tactic.
About 200 people, including British, American, German and Greek soldiers were within range of the device. Sadie, eight, and her handler L/Cpl Karen Yardley, had been called to check for secondary devices after the car bombing.
The booby-trap was discovered when Sadie suddenly "showed intention" by wagging her tail as L/Cpl Yardley, 27, took her on a search of the UN car park.
"I looked at my colleague who was with another dog and he was off running and shouting at everyone to leave the area," said L/Cpl Yardley, of the Royal Army Veterinary Corps.
Bomb disposal experts used a robot to make the device safe. "Me and my colleagues are extremely proud of Sadie," said L/Cpl Yardley. "She definitely saved lives that day and she certainly saved my life." Sadie has already served in Bosnia and Iraq and is part of 102 Military Working Dog Support Unit based in Sennelager, Germany.
The D_ickin Medal has only previously been awarded to 60 animals. It is the highest award any animal can receive in recognition of conspicuous gallantry while serving in military conflict.
The medal will also be awarded posthumously to, Lucky, a German Shepherd RAF Police tracker dog, on behalf of the four RAF tracker dogs that tirelessly worked in the Malayan jungle between 1949 and 1952.
During the Malaya Campaign, Lucky and his canine colleagues, Bobbie, Jasper and Lassie were instrumental in the capture of hundreds of communist terrorists including, in 1951, the notorious gang leader Lan-Jang-San, who was responsible to the deaths of scores of civilians.
Marilyn Rydström, of the PDSA, said: "The Medal is recognised throughout the world as the animals' Victoria Cross and is the highest award any animal can receive for bravery in the line of duty. Sadie and Lucky are, without doubt, worthy recipients."
Since the introduction of the award by PDSA's founder Maria boy thingyin CBE in 1943 it has been awarded to 24 dogs, 32 World War II messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat.
Telegraph.co.uk
editor's note: d_ickin used to prevent it being posted as the boythingy medal