Judy, the dog who survived cruelty in a prison camp during World War II

A survivor of two shipwrecks and considered the only official prisoner of World War II, Judy was an English Pointer who became a face of heroism and bravery for the British, earning him the award of the dickin medalthe equivalent of the Victoria Cross but of animals.

From a species native to England, Judy was actually born in 1936 in Shanghai, China. She was adopted by the British crew of the HMS Gnat who was in the yangtze river, following the tradition that other ships began to follow of having their pets to protect them from pests and alert them to danger.

With the start of the Second World War, a large part of the crew of the Gnat was transferred to the HSM Grasshopper, one of the modern ships to defend the territory of Singapore from the hands of the Japanese, however, even all the technology could not prevent it fromA projectile sank the ship, leading to the beginning of a series of epic stories in the dog’s life.

After the torpedo attack, the crew abandoned ship and swam to the shore of a desert island; when they arrived, they noticed Judy’s absence. George White, one of the troop, was sent back to the wreckage to recover any objects that might be useful, it was then that he discovered the canine, that he rescued and brought to the makeshift camp.

After two days without food or water, despair began to grip the crew members. That’s when Judy started digging in the sand discovering a source of fresh water this helped quench their thirst until they managed to be rescued by another boat which took them to Sumatra.

According to information from the National Military Dogs Memorial UK, on ​​her way to her new destination, the dog had a confrontation with a crocodile which caused a 15 centimeter injury and also cost the group much of the medical supplies. Previously, on the desert island, the brave dog had also protected the camp from dangerous snakes.

The hope of being safe in Sumatra disappeared as soon as the crew arrived: the last British ship had left nine days earlier and the village was already under the power of the Japanesewho immediately they took them hostage.

Most of the prisoners were beaten. According to Judy’s profile posted on the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) page, the dog was also abused with gun butts every time she tried to defend her shipmates. barking and nipping at the guards’ heels.

Judy became the best friend the prisoners could find a moment of solace in, which was risky as the Japanese guards grew increasingly hostile towards her over time, so much so that they even considered marriage. throw into the sea.

A British Royal Air Force aviation chief named Frank Williams became the most important person for Judy, because in addition to offering her rations of rice so she wouldn’t starve, he managed to get the dog to come. was listed on the official prisoner list with PoW code 81Athus gaining more time to protect it.

In June 1944, two years after their capture, the British prisoners were transferred to Singapore aboard the SS Van Warwyck. Judy may have been smuggled after Officer Williams put it in a bag of rice.

The operation was successful until an air raid sank the ship. It is estimated that of 700 prisoners who were on board only 200 survivedamong them Judy, who helped save those who could not swim by pushing pieces of wood towards them or offering to hold her.

Recaptured, the prisoners returned to the forced labor in sumatra and the possibility of the Japanese troop killing the dog – now separated from Frank Williams – grew stronger until another former Japanese commander arrived and notified that Judy also had POW status.

A few weeks later, Frank Williams was taken to the new camp and such was his surprise when he managed to find Judy, who he thought was dead. Conditions in rural Sumatra were harsher, as the prisoners had to clear a path in the jungle to build railway tracks.

As Japanese troops began to lose territory and strength, British troops (in alliance with the Americans and French) were able to rescue those captured. In the case of Judy and Williams, both managed to escape from the camp and they slipped on a boat that took them back to England.

Despite her acts of heroism, Judy had to spend six months in quarantine in Hackbridge, Surrey, a situation which started knocking her down to the point of not wanting to eat. However, when Officer Williams began visiting her weekly, she showed improvement.

Judy ended her quarantine on April 29, 1946. A month later, British affection led her to be recognized with the PDSA Dickin Medal “for his magnificent courage and endurance in the Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain the morale of his fellow prisoners and also for having saved many lives through his intelligence and vigilance.”

Judy remained with Frank Williams and his family for the rest of her life until February 1950, when she had to be euthanized after discovering a tumor in her breast from which she could not recover. His grave is located in Nachingwea, Tanzania.where he spent his last days with his owner.

Judy’s story of bravery and heroism was told in the book “The Judy Story”, published in 1973; and in 1992 he was portrayed in a children’s program called “Blue Peter”.

In 2006, his medal was displayed at the Imperial War Museum as part of the “War of the Animals” exhibit, while Williams sold photos of the dog to raise money for the People’s Animal Clinic.

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