Dogs have been used in battle for centuries, with many tragically loosing their lives in an effort to save their human companions. One such dog is Gander the Newfoundland:
Gander, originally known as Pal, was, like many other WWII dogs, a family pet before being given by his owner to the Royal Rifles, a regiment of the Canadian Army, in order to assist in the war effort. Gander was immediately popular with the soldiers, serving as both a military dog and an unofficial service dog. The soldiers gave him the honorary rank of sergeant and brought him with them to Hong Kong in 1941. While there Gander participated in several battles, before loosing his life. He was killed when he picked up a Japanese hand grenade and ran towards the Japanese soldiers with it, dying in the explosion and saving several wounded Canadian soldiers.
In the year 2000 Gander was awarded the Dickin Medal. This medal was created by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, a UK veterinary charity, to honor military animals that have shown outstanding acts of bravery. Gander's citation reads:
For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions, Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters "C" Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery, the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention, many more lives would have been lost in the assault. Source
Gander's name is also listed on the Canadian Veterans Hong Kong war memorial:
Released in 1927 and the first American film to win the academy award for Best picture, Wings remains one of the greatest war films ever made. The battle scenes, as well as the interior shots, represent many stunning advances in film making and left audiences stunned by their realism. The film also represented the horror of war in a way that spoke to 1920s audiences, for whom WWI was a recent memory. The plot focuses on three friends from the same small town Jack, David, and Mary. Jack and David become soldiers and Mary an ambulance driver. The three endure many hardships during the war before David looses his life and Mary and Jack are eventually re-united. The death bed scene of David below is one of the most famous in the history of film, both for its depiction of the tragedy of war and the obvious intimacy between the two men. While the film never directly implies that Jack and David are lovers the scene below has been interpreted by many viewers as romantic. It is certainly a beautiful scene that demonstrates that cinema has breaking taboos for far longer then the last decade.
Wings is available for instant viewing on Amazon Prime and the entire film can also be scene on you tube, its the perfect movie for Memorial Day weekend.
