In 1943 The Dickin Medal was instituted in the United Kingdom by Marie Dickin to honor the work of animals in war.It is a bronze medal,bearing the words 'For Gallantry' and 'We Also Serve'.It is commonly referred to as 'The Animal Victoria Cross' and is awarded to animals displaying'conspicious gallantry or devotion to duty while serving with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defense Units.The medal was awarded 54 times between 1943 and 1949,to 32 pigeons,18 dogs,3 horses and one cat.The most recent animal to be honored is Treo,a black labrador , for his heroic actions as an arms and explosives search dog in Afghanistan.As of march 2010 the Dickin Medal has been awarded 63 times.Greetz,Brummbar

The Dickin Medal

Russian sniper veteran Promoting his memoirs,anyone know who the Hero of USSR on the right is?

Vassili Zaitsev

JR, here is what you asked: "Able Seacat Simon, ratcatcher aboard HMS Amethyst in 1949 when she was attacked by shore batteries along the Yangtze River in China. Although injured in the attack, the fearless feline was soon back on duty, and also spent time in the sickbay, providing a morale boost to his injured (human) comrades." Greetings from Brazil.