Isabel George - D-day Dogs: Remarkable true stories of heroic dogs (HarperTrue Friend – A Short Read)

D-Day was the largest amphibious operation in history. On 6 June 1944 a mighty Allied force descended on occupied France and in a matter of hours determined the freedom of the Western world. Operation Overlord was the most decisive invasion of the Second World War, involving over 150,000 British, Canadian and US troops. Under cover of darkness they reached the Normandy coast, some by air and others by sea, among them a fearless band of canines trained to do their duty for King and country. The D-Day dogs accompanied the men into battle and helped assure freedom and peace.

Do you realise that by the time you wake in the morning 20,000 men may have been killed? British Prime Minister Winston Churchill is said to have shared the anxiety of this moment with his wife, Clementine, on the eve of D-Day. Moments after midnight on 6 June 1944 the Allied assault upon Hitlers Fortress Europe had begun.

The operation was the culmination of two years meticulous planning and training, and had to succeed where the landing at Dieppe in August 1942 had so disastrously failed. There could be no repeat of the errors that turned the heavily defended shore of Dieppe into a killing field strewn with the bodies of thousands of British and Canadian troops. Many fell to the barrage of German gunfire before they even made it out of the convoy of landing craft as they raced towards the beach. Determined the enemy would never be given a chance like that again, the Allied leaders approached the D-Day plans with single-minded focus and rigid attention to logistical detail.

As the preparations for D-Day got underway, the War Offices request for civilian canine recruits to join up proved well timed. Dogs were already being used to aid the war effort, distinguishing themselves in battle alongside troops overseas and in the role of guard and protector on bases at home.

Brian, a lively Alsatian pup, was just two years old when Betty Fetch from Leicester, England, donated him to the war effort. It had not been an easy decision, but somehow Betty knew she had to find it in her heart to let Brian join the Army. He would not only be playing his part in bringing the conflict to an end; he would also be helping Betty finding food to feed the family was a challenge, and there were often few scraps left for the dog. The Army promised its war dogs at least one good meal a day, so that made Bettys decision easier. She loved Brian and, given the dire circumstances of war, the Services seemed the best option for him. And besides, he would only be on loan. All the dogs had been promised safe passage home when it was all over. So with a heavy heart, Betty let Brian go to war.

Betty knelt down and put her arms around her dogs neck. He snuggled up close to her as she whispered her goodbyes. She told him that he would be away for a while, but he would be fed and looked after by the soldiers. She told him that he would be coming back home as soon as the war was over, but for now his country needed him more than his family did, and so he must go and be very brave.

Brian left home to serve King and country, and as Betty dried her tears she could never have guessed that her beloved pet was destined to become a D-Day hero.