Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 11, 2012 12:15:44 GMT 12
I found this great story on Papers Past by chance:
Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 44, 22 February 1944, Page 3
YANKEE DOG HERO
CAPTURES PILL-BOX
REGIMENT REQUESTS D.S.C.
(By THOMAS R. HENRY.) U.S. FORCES IN ITALY.
The adjutant of a Third Division Infantry Regiment has prepared a citation for a Distinguished Service Cross for Chips, Army police dog, which "with utter disregard for his own safety" single-handedly cleaned out an Italian pill-box at the time of the Sicilian invasion, July 10.
The circumstances have been carefully investigated by the colonel commanding the regiment, who came to the conclusion that Chips, acting entirely on his own initiative and with an instinctive appreciation of the situation, went far beyond his call of duty as a dog-soldier and possibly saved the lives of many of his human comrades.
Chips was one of the Army police dogs trained at Front Royal, Va. The regiment used to have four of them, but landed in Sicily with only three. The missing dog, Lena, was left at Algiers after giving birth to five fine puppies, of which the redoubtable Chips was the father.
The investigation shows that Chips was led ashore on a leash the night of the invasion by Private John R. Rowell, of Arkansas. The landing was just east of Licata. The two, according to the evidence, had advanced about 400 yards up the beach in complete darkness when a machine gun in a pill-box, camouflaged to appear like a peasant's small hut opened fire. Immediately Chips wrenched himself from Rowell's hand and dashed into the hut. There he attacked the enemy machine-gun crew of two men and caused them to surrender to Private Rowell, who brought them in as prisoners.
"There was an awful lot of noise," Private Rowell testified. "Then I saw one fellow come out the door with Chips at his throat. I called him off before he could kill the man. Right afterward the other fellow came out holding his hands above his head. He was saying something I couldn't understand."
This much of the Chips story has been verified, and is the basis for the requested decoration. Details of a second incident the same night are confused, and no mention is made of them in the citation. He is supposed to have enabled Private Rowell to capture 10 more Italian soldiers walking down a road—but the mere act of capturing a lot of Italian soldiers on the road hardly entitles even a dog to a decoration in this war.
The job of the three dogs, of which Chips is the best trained and most intelligent, is to accompany sentries on leashes at night. Their sharp ears detect suspicious noises in the darkness which the soldier cannot hear. The dog gives a low growl, whereupon the sentry releases the leash and the animal leaps at the source of the disturbance. Thus these dogs are protection against the most skilfully manoeuvred night attacks. They are trained to leap at the throat.
In the day time Chips is a friendly fellow about camp. He romps about with the soldiers and begs for scraps of food. He makes friends with them as individuals. But at night all friendships are forgotten. It is very dangerous for anyone to venture near a sentry leading one of these dogs. Chips has a very keen sense of smell, but apparently cannot distinguish between a German and an American.
The recommendation for a D.S.C., it was explained at regimental headquarters, is in no way intended as a joke. The officers are agreed that Chips really deserves it. A member of the Public Relations Staff of the War Department said that "It is against the traditions of the service to award the Distinguished Service Cross to a dog or any other animal attached to the armed forces." He added, "There Is notning connected with the medal to cause it to be held lightly, and the Army does not hold it lightly, though there are lots of people who would like to see their mascots receive it." It was pointed out, though, that many dogs have received "honorary" ranks in the service.—Auckland Star and N.A.N.A.
Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 44, 22 February 1944, Page 3
YANKEE DOG HERO
CAPTURES PILL-BOX
REGIMENT REQUESTS D.S.C.
(By THOMAS R. HENRY.) U.S. FORCES IN ITALY.
The adjutant of a Third Division Infantry Regiment has prepared a citation for a Distinguished Service Cross for Chips, Army police dog, which "with utter disregard for his own safety" single-handedly cleaned out an Italian pill-box at the time of the Sicilian invasion, July 10.
The circumstances have been carefully investigated by the colonel commanding the regiment, who came to the conclusion that Chips, acting entirely on his own initiative and with an instinctive appreciation of the situation, went far beyond his call of duty as a dog-soldier and possibly saved the lives of many of his human comrades.
Chips was one of the Army police dogs trained at Front Royal, Va. The regiment used to have four of them, but landed in Sicily with only three. The missing dog, Lena, was left at Algiers after giving birth to five fine puppies, of which the redoubtable Chips was the father.
The investigation shows that Chips was led ashore on a leash the night of the invasion by Private John R. Rowell, of Arkansas. The landing was just east of Licata. The two, according to the evidence, had advanced about 400 yards up the beach in complete darkness when a machine gun in a pill-box, camouflaged to appear like a peasant's small hut opened fire. Immediately Chips wrenched himself from Rowell's hand and dashed into the hut. There he attacked the enemy machine-gun crew of two men and caused them to surrender to Private Rowell, who brought them in as prisoners.
"There was an awful lot of noise," Private Rowell testified. "Then I saw one fellow come out the door with Chips at his throat. I called him off before he could kill the man. Right afterward the other fellow came out holding his hands above his head. He was saying something I couldn't understand."
This much of the Chips story has been verified, and is the basis for the requested decoration. Details of a second incident the same night are confused, and no mention is made of them in the citation. He is supposed to have enabled Private Rowell to capture 10 more Italian soldiers walking down a road—but the mere act of capturing a lot of Italian soldiers on the road hardly entitles even a dog to a decoration in this war.
The job of the three dogs, of which Chips is the best trained and most intelligent, is to accompany sentries on leashes at night. Their sharp ears detect suspicious noises in the darkness which the soldier cannot hear. The dog gives a low growl, whereupon the sentry releases the leash and the animal leaps at the source of the disturbance. Thus these dogs are protection against the most skilfully manoeuvred night attacks. They are trained to leap at the throat.
In the day time Chips is a friendly fellow about camp. He romps about with the soldiers and begs for scraps of food. He makes friends with them as individuals. But at night all friendships are forgotten. It is very dangerous for anyone to venture near a sentry leading one of these dogs. Chips has a very keen sense of smell, but apparently cannot distinguish between a German and an American.
The recommendation for a D.S.C., it was explained at regimental headquarters, is in no way intended as a joke. The officers are agreed that Chips really deserves it. A member of the Public Relations Staff of the War Department said that "It is against the traditions of the service to award the Distinguished Service Cross to a dog or any other animal attached to the armed forces." He added, "There Is notning connected with the medal to cause it to be held lightly, and the Army does not hold it lightly, though there are lots of people who would like to see their mascots receive it." It was pointed out, though, that many dogs have received "honorary" ranks in the service.—Auckland Star and N.A.N.A.
