SERGEANT STUBBY

Sergeant Stubby, the unofficial mascot of the 102nd Infantry Regiment, was assigned to the 26th Division in World War I. He was found wandering across an army training session in Connecticut, USA in 1917.

Corporal Robert Conroy decided to call him Stubby because of his short tail and as he had become attached to him he smuggled him on to the ship to France resulting in Stubby taking part in battles, including the Battle of Marne and the Battle of Chateau-Thierry.

Stubby had great hearing and knew when the enemy was approaching, a skill that was to benefit his unit. He served for 18 months and participated in 17 battles on the Western Front. Having a greater sense of smell than his human comrades, Stubby was able to detect the dangerous smell of mustard gas before any of the soldiers could and saved his regiment from a surprise attack. Allegedly he once caught a German soldier by the seat of his pants.

Stubby took on the role of a mercy dog, finding and comforting dying and injured soldiers in battle. He didn’t escape being injured himself; once getting caught in a gas attack, and also getting hit by shrapnel from a grenade.

Sergeant Stubby passed away at about 10 years old in the arms of Corporal Robert Conroy on March 16th 1926. Having gained so much popularity during his life the New York Times newspaper wrote an article celebrating his life, stating that he was fearless and that his greatest skill was giving ‘comfort and cheerfulness’ to his fellow soldiers.

Stubby has been recognised as the most decorated canine of the Great War and the only dog to be nominated and promoted to sergeant through combat. Stubby's remains are in the Smithsonian Institution.

Lest we forget.