Who Dares Winalot
For sale, bravery medals given to dog who did 20 parachute jumps for SAS in WW2... and got a life’s supply of biscuits!
HE was the ultimate dog of war – landing behind enemy lines to help Britain win key battles.
Now bravery medals awarded to Rob the parachuting dog are being sold at auction in a collection set to fetch more than £30,000.
The border collie retriever, who made over 20 parachute jumps during the Second World War in his own special harness, was the only dog ever to be awarded the animal version of the Victoria Cross – the PDSA Dickin Medal for Gallantry – and the RSPCA Red Collar for Valour.
He was also given a lifetime supply of dog biscuits. Rob served in daring SAS missions in North Africa and Italy, including being dropped behind enemy lines before the Allied invasion of Anzio in 1944.
Rob is said to have saved many soldiers from being killed or captured.
His job was to be on guard and alert the men of danger – by licking their faces. He also carried important messages around the front line as missiles and bullets rained down.
After the war Rob, who was raised on a farm near Tetchill, Shropshire, was returned to his owners and died aged 12 in 1952.
His owner’s son, Basil Bayne, has now decided to sell the medals alongside Rob’s collar, a portrait and several photos.
The collection will be auctioned in London next month. Christopher Mellor-Hill, of Noonans auction house, said the medals were the most important of their kind ever to come to auction. He explained: ‘Rob the parachuting dog is the most famous of all the Dickin Medal recipients.
‘He led the Wembley Parade of 32 war dogs on July 16, 1947. He was the star of the show as far as the 10,000 spectators were concerned, being the only dog present to hold both the Dickin Medal and the RSPCA Red Collar and Medallion for Valour.
‘Over the years books have been written about him and he featured on the front page of the Radio Times.’ A letter included in the sale describes how Rob ‘eagerly followed’ his human comrades out of the plane on jumps.
Mr Bayne, of Antrim, Northern Ireland, learned to walk by holding on to Rob’s tail. He said: ‘Following his wartime exploits, Rob was returned to us and settled back into life on the farm, occasionally making public appearances to help raise funds for returning prisoners of war and their families.’
The Dickin Medal has been awarded to 71 animals, including 34 dogs, 32 pigeons, four horses and a cat.