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Auction: 9004 - Orders, Decorations, Campaign Medals and Militaria
Lot: 1229

The 1940 Blitz ´Battle of London´ Dickin Medal - "The Animals´ V.C." - and Blue Cross Medal Pair to Rip, the Mongrel Rescue Dog of Poplar Civil Defence A.R.P. Post, Who Sniffed Out, Located, and Helped Save Over 100 Buried Air Raid Victims a) People´s Dispensary for Sick Animals Dickin Medal ("Rip" C.D. Battle of London 1940 A.F.M.C. 1025 No. 27) b) Our Dumb Friends League Blue Cross Medal, bronze, the reverse engraved ´Rip. A member of the Poplar Civil Defence who saved many lives during enemy action 1940-1945´, nearly extremely fine (2) Estimate £ 8,000-10,000 D.M. Announced July 1945: Rip- Mongrel Dog, Stray picked up by Civil Defence Squad at Poplar, London E14 ´´For locating many air-raid victims during the Blitz of 1940´´ Rip, D.M., was a stray dog found homeless and starving after a heavy raid in 1940 by A.R.P. Warden Mr. E. King, who worked at post B132 in Poplar, London, during the Second World War. He was soon adopted as the post´´s mascot, and acted as an unofficial rescue dog, sniffing out casualties trapped under buildings. During the Battle of London he located more than 100 air raid victims: ´´How welcome to the victims must have been the first sounds of those scrabbling paws and shrill terrier yaps, and the first sight of the grinning face with its merry friendly eyes.´´ (Animals in War by Jilly Cooper refers). It was partly due to his success that the authorities decided towards the end of the War to train dogs officially to trace casualties. For his great bravery and valour Rip was awarded both the P.D.S.A. Dickin Medal and the Our Dumb Friends League Blue Cross Medal, and wore the Dickin Medal on his collar for the rest of his life. He died in 1948, and was the first of the supreme animal heroes to be buried in the small P.D.S.A. Cemetery in Ilford, Essex, under a headstone that reads ´´Rip, D.M., "We also serve", for the dog whose body lies here played his part in the Battle of Britain.´´ The Dickin Medal was introduced in 1943 by Mrs. Maria Dickin, the founder of the P.D.S.A., and was awarded to animals displaying conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty whilst serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units during World War II and its aftermath. It was awarded 54 times between 1943-49, to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses, and to one cat. 12 of the recipients are buried at Ilford.

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£21,000