NEW BOOK: WAR DOG

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V28 2025 INDEX E-SYLUM ARCHIVE

The E-Sylum: Volume 28, Number 31, 2025, Article 5

We often discuss recipients of the Dickin Medal, honoring animals who serve in war. A new children's book tells the incredible story of one of them - Judy, a resourceful Royal Navy dog who saved lives and accompanied crewmembers taken as prisoners of war by Japanese forces. -Editor

My debut picture book is the true story of one dog's incredible bravery, set in the Second World War in the South–East Asian theatre of the Pacific War. After the fall of Singapore, Judy and her crew become prisoners of war.

As the ship's mascot, Judy has many duties. She catches rats, watches out for soldiers who may fall overboard, and she listens out for danger. Judy loves her crew, and they love her.

She knows that she brings comfort to the men, making her job very important during these hard times. But when her soldiers are taken prisoner and she is separated from her beloved Frank, she must find the strength to keep going. She is their only hope.

This beautiful picture book is a testament to the love and loyalty of dogs and the importance of animal companions.

Judy was awarded the Dickin medal, "For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners, and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness."

For more information, or to order, see:
War Dog (https://tompalmer.co.uk/war-dog/)

I learned about the book from an article in the Mirror. Here's an excerpt. -Editor

The medal citation is simple but powerful: "For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese Prison Camps... and for saving many lives."

But the honour does not belong to one of the brave troops who battled in the Far East campaign of WWII but to a dog.

Judy the pointer was the only animal to be officially recognised as a prisoner of war in the conflict, and one of a handful to receive the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

Now, ahead of the 80th commemorations of VJ Day on August 15, her incredible story of capture, survival and courage is being brought to life for the next generation in a new book.

War Dog, by children's author Tom Palmer, charts Judy's astonishing life-saving heroics and stands as testimony to the love and loyalty of our canine companions, even in the most difficult of circumstances.

"There are still stories to be uncovered about the war and Judy's is utterly fascinating," says Tom, a dad-of-one and dog owner from Halifax, West Yorks, who has written more than 60 children's books.

"What she did is unbelievable. It feels almost made-up but it's totally true. There are contemporaneous accounts from former PoWs who were with her in Japan and saw her actions with their own eyes.

"I want the book to show how animals bring hope in difficult times. I also want it to try to explain conflict. War is difficult for children to grasp. But understanding its significance helps them make sense of what's happening today."