NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
19/02/21 10:52 PM
Judy the WW2 POW pointer

Judy, a purebred pointer, was the mascot of several ships in the Pacific, and was captured by the Japanese in 1942 and taken to a prison camp. There she met Aircraftsman Frank Williams, who shared his small portion of rice with her.

Judy raised morale in the POW camp, and also barked when poisonous snakes, crocodiles or even tigers approached the prisoners. When the prisoners were shipped back to Singapore, she was smuggled out in a rice sack, never whimpering or betraying her presence to the guards.

The next day, that ship was torpedoed. Williams pushed Judy out of a porthole in an attempt to save her life, even though there was a 15-foot drop to the sea. He made his own escape from the ship, but was then recaptured and sent to a new POW camp.

He didn't know if Judy had survived, but soon he began hearing stories about a dog helping drowning men reach pieces of debris after the shipwreck. And when Williams arrived at the new camp, he said: "I couldn’t believe my 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!"

They spent a year together at that camp in Sumatra. "Judy saved my life in so many ways," said Williams. "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 then smuggled aboard a troopship heading back to Liverpool. In England, she was awarded the Dickin Medal (the "Victoria Cross" for animals) in May 1946. Her citation reads: "For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness".

At the same time, Frank Williams was awarded the PDSA's White Cross of St. Giles for his devotion to Judy. Frank and Judy spent a year after the war visiting the relatives of English POWs who had not survived, 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, which included a plaque describing her life story.

I will have to copy the image over to here.

https://www.facebook.com/Thedogbible1/photos/a.1591858350928694/2460864084028112/


DarylS
(.700 member)
20/02/21 04:51 AM
Re: Judy the WW2 POW pointer

That's quite a story. Good thing it wasn't a Chinese camp with a wet market, just saying.

93x64mm
(.416 member)
20/02/21 07:17 AM
Re: Judy the WW2 POW pointer

Wonderful story there John
A wonderful tribute to both the troops & animals that served in WWII


Rule303
(.416 member)
20/02/21 05:34 PM
Re: Judy the WW2 POW pointer

A good and heartfelt story.

Another to read up on is "Red the Cat" Red was named after walking through red paint and leaving red foot prints on the HMAS Perth. Was on board when sunk and stayed with sailors till the end of Warif memory serves.


NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
20/02/21 05:57 PM
Re: Judy the WW2 POW pointer

Quote:

Wonderful story there John
A wonderful tribute to both the troops & animals that served in WWII




Amazing for a man on a starvation diet to share his meagre rice rations with his dog. I would probably do so as well with my boys.

Maybe some of those snakes barked at, ended up in the pot as well.


NitroXAdministrator
(.700 member)
20/02/21 06:07 PM
Re: Judy the WW2 POW pointer

Quote:

That's quite a story. Good thing it wasn't a Chinese camp with a wet market, just saying.




I immediately thought of the James Clavell novel (and movie) "King Rat". A fictional story based on Clavell's own POW experience. "King Rat" is set at Changi POW camp in Singapore in WW2. Where the Changi airport now is. In the movie, maybe the novel?, one POW has a lovely dog which he much cares for. The dog oneday kills a also much loved chicken of another POW who accuses the dog of "murder". The dog is killed. The "King" obtains the dog carcase and they cook it in a cell of the old prison to eat. They much enjoy it. The "King Rat" comes from their plan to breed rats and sell them to officers as "mouse deer". When the camp is liberated the rats in their cage fight and eat other until only one old male King Rat is left. It is an analogy of some of the story of the book and how men can act when faced with desperation and tough choices of survival.

I am glad this lovely pointer survived and was loved by its POW pack. And from the sounds of it added to their lives and survival spirits. No doubt some would have wanted to eat it. I would like to see that monument. I wonder if it is online somewhere?


If anyone has not read James Clavell's "King Rat" it is worth reading. And also the movie is quite good and worth watching as well. I visited the museum of Changi POW camp when in Singapore. Man can be very evil to other men.


sbs470
(.333 member)
20/02/21 08:00 PM
Re: Judy the WW2 POW pointer

I read this book about 12-18 months ago .It is a great read, well worth looking out for a copy or harassing your local library to get a copy for you


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