It was 10.30pm on August 5, 1946, when two boxers, a brother and sister named Punch and Judy, were severely injured when saving the lives of British officers in Palestine. They ‘belonged to Lt-Col A. H. K. Campbell, the deputy judge advocate general of the Jerusalem Military Court, and Lt-Col H. G. G. Niven, the adjutant general, who shared a house in a Jerusalem suburb,’ explains Christopher Mellor-Hill of Noonans. ‘The two officers were relaxing at home with their two dogs. The front door was open. All was quiet and they had no suspicion that any danger was threatening them.’
He continues: ‘Suddenly, the dogs became aware of intruders within the compound. Racing into the darkness and barking furiously, they were met with a burst of sub-machine gun fire from one or possibly two terrorists within the barbed wire protected perimeter. Apparently, the intruders were stealthily creeping towards the house with the intent to kill the officers.
The barking and gunfire alerted the officers, thwarted the attack and thus saved their lives. Police and military parties arrived and, following a trail of blood, found the seriously wounded Punch. He had been hit four times and lay in a pool of blood, apparently dying. His sister, Judy, also covered in blood, stood protectively over him.’
Despite the curfew, the superintendent of the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) rushed to the scene. Punch was gravely wounded and Judy, although covered in blood, appeared only to have a bullet graze on her back, most likely from covering her brother to protect him. Both made a full recovery and were each awarded a PDSA Dickin Medal — the ‘animal VC’; Judy’s will go under the hammer at Noonans Mayfair, London W1, on June 11 (estimate £14,000–£18,000).
Maria Dickin, the founder of the PDSA, presents RAF homing pigeon Winkie with the Dickin medal in 1944 for delivering a message that contributed to the rescue of a ditched aircrew in February 1942.
Mali, a Belgian Malinois British military working Dog, wearing the Dickin Medal with his handler Corporal Daniel Hatley in 2017. Mali received the medal after his role in military operations in Afghanistan in 2012.
The Dickin Medal has since been awarded 75 times, mostly during the Second World War; the recipients were 32 pigeons, 38 dogs, four horses and one cat. ‘The sale of a Dickin Medal is always hugely emotive,’ adds Mellor-Hill.
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Water you're waiting for? Britain's best heritage lidos were built to save swimmers from polluted seas full of potato peelings, oil and coal — and they're still in action todayThe seaside lido continues to offer safe swimming for holidaymakers irrespective of the tide, but they're also architectural gems worthy of our admiration.
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Ironmongers' Hall: The medieval marvel destroyed by a First World War bomb, and it's inspiring 21st century renaissanceIronmongers’ Hall in London EC2 — home of the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers — is one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies. This year it is celebrating the centenary of its Tudor-style Hall; John Goodall takes a look, and tells the remarkable story of the building. Photographs by Will Pryce for the Country Life Picture Library
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Water you're waiting for? Britain's best heritage lidos were built to save swimmers from polluted seas full of potato peelings, oil and coal — and they're still in action today
The seaside lido continues to offer safe swimming for holidaymakers irrespective of the tide, but they're also architectural gems worthy of our admiration.
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West London's spent the last two decades as the laughing stock of the style set — here's how it got its groove backThe style set is returning to the very West London neighbourhoods it once made a habit of spurning, finds Will Hosie.
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Peregrine falcons went to the edge of extinction in the 1960s — today, there are more of them than at any time since the Middle AgesIn the latest instalment of Mark Cocker's 'Winging it' column, he looks at the peregrine, a bird of prey with astonishing speed and super strength.
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Rogue sellers and puppy farmers are exploiting Government licensing loopholes at the expense of responsible dog breeders, says The Kennel ClubThe Kennel Club launched a report in the House of Commons last week calling for an urgent review of current licensing regulations.
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Beyond Stonehenge: The ancient moorland megaliths and grand stone rings that you can enjoy without the tourist hordesWith their potent blend of wild looks and mystery, Britain’s ancient sites have an enduring magnetism — and there are far more of them than you might imagine.
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40 miles of racket strings, 55,000 balls and 2.5 million strawberries: Wimbledon by the numbersHow many strawberries are consumed, how many petunias purchased and just how much racket string is required at the world’s oldest tennis championships? Lotte Brundle serves up the numbers.
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Chatsworth's winning £4 million Lottery ticket means it can restore beloved water featureThe Chatsworth House Trust will use the money from The National Lottery Heritage Fund to restore their Cascade — beloved by Alan Titchmarsh.
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Hope from the ashes: This new generation of ash trees is more resistant to diebackWhen ash dieback first arrived in Britain, in 2012, an emergency COBRA meeting was formed. The disease has since spread rampantly across the countryside, but there is still hope.
