K9 RAMBLE …. RAMBLE ….

Having unearthed this story of outstanding canine bravery, loyalty and performance during the recent ANZAC commemorations, I believe her story deserves to be shared.

This is the story of Judy, a brave and fearless canine hero who stole hearts and saved thousands of lives during World War II.

Judy survived sinking ships and several years in internment camps, being the only dog taken as a prisoner of war during WWII.

English purebred pointer Judy, was born in Shanghai, China in 1936.

She was gifted to the Royal Navy as a ship's mascot aboard HMS Gnat and then her sister ship, the river gunboat, HMS Grasshopper. Both ships were stationed on the Yangtze River before and during WWII.

Judy’s acute hearing and barking provided early warnings of incoming aircraft to the navy.

Judy was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and was taken to a prison camp where she met Aircraftsman Frank Williams (pictured above with Judy), who shared his meagre daily portions of rice with her.

Judy’s presence raised the morale of prisoners in the POW camp. Her barking warned when poisonous snakes, crocodiles or even tigers approached them. When these prisoners were shipped back to Singapore, they smuggled her onto the ship in a rice sack. Judy never once whimpered or betrayed her presence to the Japanese guards.

Their ship was torpedoed the following day and, despite a 15-foot drop to the sea below, AC Williams pushed Judy out of a porthole to save her. He then made his own escape from the ship, but was recaptured and sent to a new POW camp.

AC Williams had no idea if Judy had survived. However, he soon began to hear stories of a dog saving drowning men by swimming them to pieces of debris from the torpedoed ship.

When AC Williams arrived at the new POW camp in Sumatra, he couldn’t believe his eyes! “As I walked through the gate, a scraggly dog hit me square between the shoulders and knocked me over. I’d never been so glad to see the old girl!" he said.

Judy and AC Williams spent the next year as prisoners. "Judy saved my life in so many ways," he said. "But the greatest of all was giving me a reason to live. All I had to do was look into those weary, bloodshot eyes and ask myself: 'What would happen to her if I died?' I had to keep going."

Once hostilities ceased, Judy was smuggled aboard a troopship to Liverpool.

In England in May 1946, Judy was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal (the animal equivalent of the "Victoria Cross"). Her citation reads: "Formagnificentcourage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through herintelligenceandwatchfulness".

Frank Williams was also awarded the PDSA's White Cross of St. Giles for his devotion to Judy.

Frank and Judy spent the year following the war visiting relatives of English POWs who had died in combat, and Frank said that Judy "always provided a comforting presence to the families."

When Judy finally died at the age of 13, Frank spent two months building a granite and marble memorial in her memory, including a plaque describing her life story.

Raewyn at TranzFURmers

(BSc.,