Animal Heroes Honoured

Some of the world’s most heroic animals are to be honoured as part of a ceremony to mark the restoration of an illustrious cemetery.

Recipients of the PDSA Dickin Medal will be afforded full military honours during the event at the charity’s Ilford Animal Cemetery.

The Cemetery hosts graves belonging to a dozen recipients of the award Medal, which is named after the charity’s founder, Maria Dickin CBE, and recognised worldwide as the animals’ Victoria Cross.

It has been bestowed 62 times. The animal recipients have saved thousands of lives during war and terrorist attack since its inception in 1943.

They include a dog who shielded his human comrades from a grenade blast, a pigeon who saved an Italian village from being bombed, a cat who kept sailors from starving despite being badly injured by shelling and three dogs honoured for their part in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington.

Veterans who have served with some of the Medal recipients will take part in a march-past, accompanied by colours representing some of the regiments of the animals. There will also be a fly-past by pigeons to commemorate the particular contribution of the winged PDSA Dickin Medal recipients.

PDSA Director General, Marilyn Rydström, said the completion of restoration work offered an opportunity to remember the animals’ contributions.

“Many lives were saved as a result of the courage and dedication to duty of the animals buried at Ilford. Sadly, over the years, the animal graves at the cemetery had weathered and broken.

“So we decided to embark on the restoration project as a mark of respect for the PDSA Dickin Medal recipients and the 3,000 other military animals and family pets buried there. We are very grateful for a grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s People’s Millions which made the work possible. ”

Among PDSA Dickin Medal recipients are:
• Gander, a Newfoundland dog, who was killed intercepting a grenade aimed at wounded Canadian soldiers during a battle with Japanese troops in 1941.
• GI Joe, a celebrated American pigeon, who not only received the PDSA Dickin Medal but was also recognised by the US Congress for preventing troops and villagers in Italy from becoming victims of so-called ‘friendly fire’.
• Simon, the cat who braved shrapnel wounds to prevent rats over-running food stores on board HMS Amethyst during a 101-day siege on the River Yangtse in 1949, after shelling killed 17 crew members.

Simon – the only cat to be awarded PDSA Dickin Medal – is among those animals buried at the Ilford cemetery – which has been dubbed ‘Arlington for animals’, after the famous Virginia graveyard for America’s war dead. The restoration has taken almost a year and was made possible thanks to a £50,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund’s People’s Millions.

Work at Ilford will be rounded off next year with the opening of a special Garden of Remembrance designed by Bob Flowerdew of BBC Radio 4’s Gardener’s Question Time.

For more information please contact Ed Stearns on 07939188889, Mark Dixon on 07973631514, Brendan Pittaway on 0151 239 5055, Isabel George on 07946 587124 or PDSA PR Office on 01952 204792.

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