The Story of Sergeant Gander - The Brave Newfoundland Who Sacrificed Himself in Battle to Save His Battalion

(Worldnationnews.com)

"Thousands of people have gone down in history in war conflicts to sacrifice themselves to save families, entire communities, battalions and even nations. However, there are other lesser-known heroes who have given their lives in heroic acts worthy of recognition. Pal, as he was named during the first months of his life, was the pet of a family who lived in the small Canadian town of Gander. Like a good Newfoundland, the dog soon began to grow and became a specimen weighing around 70 kilograms.

It was October 1941, and second World War was in development. The Unit of the Royal Rifles and Winnipeg Ranchers had previously been sent to war together to defend the British colony of Hong Kong from Japanese threats. Prior to service in Hong Kong, the Royal Rifles and Sergeant Gander had served in Newfoundland and St Johns, while the Grenadiers served in Jamaica, although both squadrons had minimal training, this was not relevant at the time. It was thought that Canadians would only have garrison duty, not combat duty. However, peace on the island was short-lived and in December the Japanese landing resulted in intense bombings against Hawaii (Pearl Harbour), as well as United States naval bases in northern Malaysia, the Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, and Hong Kong, Where were the Canadians? As stated in the Canadian Veterans Archive, the Canadian Forces commanded 1,975 soldiers commanded by Brigadier JK Lawson, in addition to Gander and another body of nurses. On December 19, 1941, the 1st Battalion of the Royal Rifles was cut down and the Canadians were barely able to respond to the offensive. In one such attack, a grenade fell along with the squad and bravely Gander took the explosive and quickly drove away, exploded and died instantly, but saved the soldiers. Although the fighting ended with over 1,050 dead and wounded, the remaining survivors, including some prisoners of war, were able to return home, although this confrontation was one of the bloodiest episodes involving Canadians in World War II.

Only a few weeks passed after the fateful day for Gander to become a legend. He was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal on 27 October 2000. The first to be honored in 51 years, and after the Canadian War Museum, the Hong Kong Veterans Association and the Hong Kong Memorial Association advocated an award for bravery. The Dickin Medal is a equivalent to the Victoria Cross. Animals were given the award for their actions in armed conflicts and to date only 61 animals have been received the award. His medal read: “For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lai Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. Twice Gander attacks blocked enemy advances and wounded protected groups of soldiers. In a final act of bravery, the war dog was killed while carrying a hand grenade. Without Gander’s intervention, many more lives would have been lost in the attack." Three decades before he was awarded the Dickin Medal, and at the insistence of the surviving military, Gander was included in the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial located in Ottawa, Canada, where the names of 1,975 male and two female nurses who were part of the battalion are pending. Finally, on 23 July 2015, a statute in honor of Gander was erected at Newfoundland Memorial Park. Philip Dodridge, one of the former members of the Royal Rifles who was also a prisoner of the Japanese for three years, told the network, CBC: “It is very emotional, even talking about it, it is very close to my heart. He was loved by all of us, he followed us to Hong Kong and was killed in action.” Gander’s story was also included in David Long’s book The Animals VC, For Gallantry or Devotion, which discusses the animals that have received the Dickin Medal."