PILOTS AND POOCHES

As well as helping hands there was always a helping paw in the RAF

During the war many pilots of the Royal Air Force kept dogs as pets, and the four-legged friends were a regular sight, greeting their masters on the airfield. One of the most famous of these was fighter pilot George Unwin’s dog, Flash, an Alsatian based with his owner at

RAF Duxford. Such is the popularity of this particular pooch that the Imperial War Museum’s shop now sells cuddly versions of Flash! Other notable mascots include Sally, the Labrador of Wing Commander JE ‘Johnnie’ Johnson, one of the Canadian squadrons. Sally reportedly became jealous of Johnson’s horse Hans and whenever he rode it, would lie down in front and pretend to be asleep. Polish Squadron 303 was also known to keep a puppy as a mascot, but it wasn’t just the RAF who had an affinity for four-legged friends. Perhaps one of the most famous stories of a pilot and his dog concerns a Czechoslovakian pilot in the French air force, Robert Bozdech, and his dog Ant. Having crashed in occupied territory in 1940, Bozdech was taking shelter in a French farmhouse when he heard a noise. Shouting out and threatening what he took to be the enemy, he discovered in fact a small German Shepherd puppy. Taking the puppy with him, a lifelong bond formed between the two and the puppy was even named after a Czech aircraft nicknamed the Ant. After a particularly close call involving the German bombing of an airfield, Bozdech couldn’t bring himself to leave Ant behind while he flew on his missions. As a result, Ant flew with him on all succeeding operations.