Judy the War Hero

I am an animal lover so it makes perfect sense for me to write this true story about a dog named Judy, who became a war hero and the only canine Prisoner of War (POW). Judy was a Japanese POW for three years. I can’t remember where or when I first read about this dog but it was recently. It is such a heart warming story I would like to share it with you. Most dog owners love their dogs so much that they would do anything for them and in turn most dogs would do anything for their owners. I know this is true in my case. But the things dogs in war do for soldiers is incredible. For example, the dog I am going to tell you a little about was actually responsible for helping soldiers whose ship exploded in the ocean to survive by allowing them to hold on to her body in order to make it to safety. She would even go as far as to warn the soldiers of vicious animals being nearby so they could protect themselves. The soldiers were being transferred to different camps in various locations so Judy had to adapt to different kinds of dangers. There are many dogs who became war heroes but Judy is the only dog to be officially registered as a POW.

Judy was a purebred English pointer and she was born in Shanghai in 1937. She was a mascot for the British Royal Navy and the soldiers considered Judy their “guardian angel”. The guards in the war camps didn’t like her because she took care of the soldiers. When the guards were beating the soldiers Judy would cause distractions by barking and nipping at the guards feet. So, of course, the guards didn’t like Judy. Although she loved all the soldiers, a man by the name of Frank Williams, a Leading Aircraftsman, took a special interest in her and became her caretaker. Judy wouldn’t get much to eat and her ribs were starting to show. Despite not being well fed himself, Frank Williams gave his whole bowl of rice to Judy one day. After that, Judy was always by his side. However, Frank Williams was worried for Judy because the guards were becoming more and more hostile toward her. He was afraid they would shoot her. So he came up with the brilliant idea to have her officially registered as a POW. The commanding colonel at one of the camps in Japan had a tendency to drink a little too much and one day Frank Williams convinced him to register Judy as a POW. Judy's POW number was even part of Frank's number. Now she was entitled to the same protections of the other prisoners of war. Frank Williams was so relieved because all prisoners of war must be humanely treated. Unfortunately, sometime after that commanding colonel registered Judy he was transferred and a very strict captain, who was not very fond of dogs, took over the camp. The soldiers were being transferred to another camp but this captain ordered that Judy stay behind. The soldiers managed to get Judy on the ship transporting them to this new camp and the ship was hit by a torpedo. Judy did manage to make it safely to the docks but as she and the soldiers were being put on a truck headed to the new camp the captain ordered for her to be dropped into the ocean. However, the commanding colonel at the camp who registered Judy was nearby and he saved her life by ordering she be placed on that truck with the other prisoners of war. After all, Judy was PoW 81A! Frank Williams loved that dog so much because not only did she look out for him and the other soldiers but she gave him a reason to live. He said whenever he was extremely depressed all he had to do was look into Judy’s eyes and he felt better. Many other of the soldiers felt the same way about Judy.

Frank Williams taught Judy how to communicate by using commands which included whistling. He also taught her to be very still and quiet so that she could be transported without anyone knowing it. When Frank and the other soldiers were finally freed they went to the ship that was to take them home to England but there was a sign on the ship that clearly said “no animals allowed". After all they went through together the soldiers were not going to let Judy behind so Frank, with the assistance of the other soldiers, smuggled Judy onboard. All that training Frank did with Judy certainly paid off because she didn’t make a peep! In 1946 Judy received the Dickin Medal from the British government. This award honors the great service of dogs in times of war. Frank took care of Judy until her death at the age of 13 and her grave includes a plaque detailing all her wonderful achievements.

Just like with Judy I am sure the military dogs of today are considered “guardian angels” to the soldiers and these military dogs not only do their jobs but they also keep spirits high despite how dangerous, stressful and lonely the military can be especially for those deployed overseas. I don’t know if you ever heard the saying that dogs are angels put on earth by God...they just don’t have wings. I always believed this to be true and after hearing about Judy I believe this even more. This is just a small part of Judy’s story. There are books written about her and there have even been movies made about her so if this article interests you there is much more information available about this exceptional dog. I did quite a bit of research about Judy and the following websites were particularly helpful: https://nmwdm.ord.uk/dogs/judy/ and https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/140518-dogs-war-canines-soliders-troops-military-japanese-prisoner.