“When humans charge into battle, invariably animals go with them.”

By Robin Hutton

ANIMALS HAVE BEEN a part of war for as long as humans have fought each other. From Hannibal’s elephants and the camels of Saladin’s army to America’s mounted Special Forces of the Afghan War, when humans charge into battle, invariably animals go with them. Despite being unwilling participants in human conflict, dogs, horses, birds and other creatures, have none the less fought bravely and generally left their mark on history.

Consider G.I. Joe, the pigeon who saved an entire Italian village and a regiment of British troops by flying 20 miles in 20 minutes to carry a message to Allied forces. Then there was Bing, the dog who parachuted into France on D-Day to help his airborne masters sniff out the enemy.

In my book War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War Two, I explore more than 70 inspiring stories of critters, pets and beasts who made a difference during history’s most important conflict. Here are three amazing animals who served in wartime.

America’s most famous fighting dog

Despite his life as the family dog of the Wren family of Pleasantville, New York, the mixed breed Collie-Alsatian-Husky known as Chips would go on to become America’s most famous canine hero of World War II and the highest decorated dog in U.S. history. Trained as a sentry, Chips was assigned to the Third Infantry Division of Patton’s Seventh Army. In his three-and-a-half-years in the military, Chips was deployed to North Africa, Italy, France and Austria. One his many remarkable achievements came during the January 1943 Casablanca Conference, Chips met both President Franklin Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. In an encounter with Dwight D. Eisenhower, he nipped at Ike’s hand when the general tried to pet him. But since Chips was trained to protect his handler, all was forgiven. Chips’ greatest feats came during the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily. As he and his platoon hit the beach, the entire outfit found itself pinned down by heavy machine gun fire. Oblivious to the hail of bullets busting around him, Chips broke from his master and charged straight at the enemy position. After a brief scuffle, an Italian soldier staggered out of the machine gun nest, smoking pistol in hand, with Chips lunging at his throat. Three others followed with their hands above their heads. Chips suffered a scalp wound in the melee and a few powder burns, but was still fit for duty. Later that same night, he helped capture ten Italian soldiers. Because of his heroism, Chips was awarded the Silver Star and was nominated for the Distinguished Service Cross and a Purple Heart. Sadly, the commendations were revoked due to an army regulation preventing medals from going to non-human recipients. After the war, Chips returned home to a hero’s welcome. He died the following year, but his legend lived on. On Jan. 15, 2018, Chips was posthumously awarded Britain’s prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal. Known as the “Victoria Cross for animals,” it’s the highest award an animal can receive for gallantry and bravery in wartime. Chips became the 70th recipient and the 20th dog from the Second World War to earn the commendation. It will be displayed at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans – a fitting home for this unexpected hero.

The mare of London

Residents of the South London district of Tooting had a secret weapon during the V-1 scare of 1944 – Olga. The 12-year-old bay mare worked crowd control and rescue operations during some of the deadliest attacks on the city. One came on July 3, 1944, when Olga and Police Constable J. E. Thwaites were on patrol. Suddenly and without warning, the two could hear the distinctive sputtering drone of a buzz bomb approaching. The missile exploded about 250-feet in front of Olga and Thwaites where it destroyed four houses. When a plate glass window from one of the buildings shattered at Olga’s feet, the startled horse bolted and galloped 300-feet before the constable could get her under control. Thwaites remounted the uneasy animal and darted off towards the scene of the blast site. Amid the panic, confusion and chaos, Olga flawlessly performed her duties, assisting with search and rescue, helping to control traffic and keeping onlookers away. She never startled again. In 1947, the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) finally saluted London’s heroic equines like Olga for their service during the war. These horses stood up to the danger and the chaos of sirens and bombs, guns and other loud noises, as well as the terror of explosions, falling debris and fire. Olga, along with two other police horses, Regal and Upstart, were presented their medals on June 17, 1947 at Regent’s Park in London. It was a proud day for all those who served. For almost 70 years, these three remained the only horses ever awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal. Then in 2016, America’s legendary war horse, Sgt. Reckless, was posthumously honored with a Dickin for her truly remarkable Korean War service with the United States Marine Corps.

Able Seaman Simon

When the crew of HMS Amethyst smuggled a scrawny black-and-white alleycat known as Simon aboard their vessel while on shore leave in Hong Kong, they had no idea what a heroic critter they were bringing into their midst. They figured the vessel needed a rat catcher; what they got in Simon was a whole lot more. The following year, the Amethyst set sail up the Yangtze River to relieve HMS Consort of her duties near Nanjing, China. At the time, the country was in the midst of a long and bloody civil war between nationalist and communist factions. But because Britain remained neutral in the conflict, few expected much trouble. It would prove to be a faulty assumption. Sixty miles from Nanjing, communist shore batteries opened fire on the Amethyst. More than 20 men, including the captain, were killed in the barrage; 27 more were wounded. Damage was so extensive, the vessel ran aground. Attempts to the tow the ship to safety failed; Amethyst would stay stranded on the river for the next three months. Somehow during the initial firefight, Simon the cat plunged overboard. When he finally surfaced amid some wreckage, his face was burned and his whiskers and eyebrows singed. Despite the danger, his fellow crewmen scooped their beloved mascot from the river and rushed him to the sick bay.

The medical crew removed shrapnel from Simon in four places and treated him for burns. Despite the intensive care, Simon’s heart was weakened during the ordeal; he was given only a fair chance of survival. But being a fighter, Simon held on and, despite his injuries, helped lift the crew’s morale, by visiting recovering sailors’ bunks and contentedly kneading them with his paws and purring. But with Simon off his feet, the Amethyst’s rat population skyrocketed and eventually threatened the ship’s food stores. Despite being not yet fully healed, Simon resumed his duties catching the pests. In fact, he claimed one rodent a day until the rations were saved, a feat that further buoyed the sailors’ spirits. Officers aboard soon promoted the feline to the rank of able seaman for his contribution to the crisis. Finally, after being stranded for more than three months, the Amethyst fired up its engines and ran the gauntlet of enemy guns for the ocean. When news broke of the vessel’s exploits, every crewmember was hailed as a hero—including little Simon. Overnight, he became an international celebrity with an army of fans and legions of cameras and reporters there to record the ship’s arrival in Hong Kong. Soon after, Simon was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal. He’s not just the only mouser ever to receive the commendation, but the sole Royal Navy animal to earn such distinction. Sadly, Simon fell ill two weeks before the ceremony, and passed away in 1949. Time Magazine’s simple headline and picture said it best: “In Honored Memory.” Simon is still remembered as the most famous cat in British military history.

Robin Hutton is the author of War Animals: The Unsung Heroes of World War II. She is president of Angels Without Wings, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that spearheaded the development and dedication of three national monuments to Sgt Reckless, America’s greatest war horse from the Korean Conflict.