Dickin Medal to be auctioned
A Dickin Medal - the highest honour given to an animal for war service - fetched £25,300 when it was auctioned in London yesterday.
Shelia, a working Collie sheep dog, was awarded the medal after helping her shepherd master, John Dagg, to rescue two American air men whose plane had crashed during blizzard conditions in the Second World War.
Dagg heard the bomber crash during a storm over the Cheviot hills, near his Northumberland home. Along with a fellow shepherd, he and Shelia set out to find the crash site and help any survivors they might find. Despite the harsh weather, the two men and their dog were able to lead the air crew to safety, just before the plane’s unused bombs exploded.
The two shepherds received the British Empire Medal and Shelia was the first civilian dog to be awarded the Dickin Medal, which was instituted in 1943, by PDSA founder Maria Dicken CBE.
In yesterday’s auction, Shelia and John’s medals were sold together with related photographs and correspondence.
Most recently, the Dickin Medal has been awarded to guide and rescue dogs involved in the immediate aftermath of the September 11th bombings. A Dickin Medal documentary is available to listen to on the BBC website.
Don’t forget: the PDSA’s Christmas campaign is currently underway, to raise funding for vetinary care for animals whose owners have restricted incomes.
December 22nd, 2005 at 1:49 am
I was amazed to see the article about the auction of the medals. My father, George Smith was one of the men saved by John Dagg and his dog. My father was always grateful for those brave sheperds and dogs that saved his life and his crewmates lives that day. He passed away a few years ago. He always wanted to return to the site of the crash and thank the relatives of John Dagg and Frank Moscropp. I hope to make a trip there someday soon in his stead.
July 14th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
Please could you give me the grid reference of the site where the plane crashed I have tried to find it but without success?
Many thanks