James R. Olson: About the Author

A Canadian Hero

If you’ve ever seen a Newfoundland dog, you know a Newfie is a large working dog, with the males standing 28-29 inches and weighing around 130-150 pounds. This sweet-tempered breed typically gets along very well with children, but a Newfie may not always realize its size and strength. You have to appreciate that in order to understand how “Pal” became a war dog.

As part of the Hayden family, the gentle Newfie adored playing with the neighbor kids who often had him pull their sleds. During one playtime, however, “Pal” accidentally scratched a six-year-old with his big paw, and because the deep scratch required a doctor, the Haydens were faced with putting Pal down or giving him away. They chose life for the 130-pound dog, and that’s how Pal became the regimental mascot for the 1st Battalion of the Royal Rifles of Canada.

The Royal Rifles stationed at Gander International Airport quickly welcomed the dog into their ranks. The soldiers renamed him Gander and "promoted" him to sergeant. When the unit was shipped to Hong Kong in the fall of 1941, Sergeant Gander went along.

Hong Kong was very hot, and Gander’s thick, heavy coat wasn’t well suited to the climate. To help Gander cope with the heat, Rifleman Fred Kelly (Gander’s handler) let him take long, cold showers. The Newfie was also reported to have a fondness for cool beer.

Gander, however, developed a dislike of Asians, probably related to the efforts of some locals to steal him. He got away, but only after struggling, which Gander never forgot. His regiment didn’t discourage Gander’s snarling and snapping, and this may explain why Gander had such a ferocious reaction to the invading Japanese.

On December 7th, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and eight hours later, Japanese troops poured across the border to engage British, Indian, and Canadian units on Hong Kong Island. Armed only with his formidable size and an intimidating set of teeth, Gander fought alongside his fellow Canadians. The large dog charged and tackled any Japanese soldier who got too close to his Canadian troops. “He growled and ran at the enemy soldiers, biting at their heels,” recalled Rifleman Reginald Law. Since most of the fighting occurred at night, Gander’s black coat made him all but invisible, and instead of shooting the enormous dog, the Japanese beat a hasty retreat to avoid the “Black Beast.” Gander’s fierce attacks drove back the Japanese troops at least twice.

During the battles, both sides threw grenades, which injured or killed many soldiers. On the fifth or sixth day of battle, Gander was guarding a group of wounded Canadians when a Japanese grenade landed in their midst. The big dog instantly picked up the grenade in his massive jaws and ran it back toward the Japanese. No one will ever know for certain whether Gander realized the grenade was deadly, but if he didn’t think it was dangerous, why would he run it back to the Japanese? Although Gander was killed in the explosion, he had saved the lives of at least seven soldiers.

The allied forces had no reasonable chance of winning the battle, but the Canadians fought valiantly, finally surrendering on December 25th (Black Christmas). When the Japanese interrogated Canadian prisoners, they were particularly interested in learning about the “Black Beast,” because they were concerned the Allies were training vicious animals for combat.

By the time the war ended Gander had been forgotten by everyone except the Canadian POWs.  It took nearly 60 years and efforts by various veterans groups before Gander received his first official recognition.  On October 27, 2000 the PDSA (the UK’s leading veterinary charity) posthumously awarded Gander the Dickin Medal, the first such award since 1949, and to the best of my knowledge, the only award for an animal killed in the line of duty. The Dickin Medal is often referred to as the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross (Britain’s highest award for valor).   The medal was accepted by Fred Kelly, Gander’s former handler, in the presence of thirty-five Hong Kong veteran POWs who attended the ceremony. The citation read:

“For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On three documented occasions, Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of The Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined The Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters "C" Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defense of the island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery, the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention, many more lives would have been lost in the assault.”

Gander has achieved a degree of immortality in Canada. Surviving prisoners insisted Gander’s name be listed with the 1,975 men and two women when the Hong Kong Veterans Memorial Wall was unveiled on August 15, 2009 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.  The Forgotten Heroes monument, dedicated on July 2, 2012 at the Cobequid Veterans Memorial Park in Bass River, Nova Scotia, includes a statue of Gander by Nova Scotia sculptor Clifton Sears. Statues of Gander and his handler were unveiled on July 23, 2015 at Gander Heritage Memorial Park in Gander, Newfoundland.

As of 2015, Gander remains Canada’s only decorated military animal.  It will be a long time before he is forgotten.