Dickin medal awarded to Tetchill dog smashes auction record

A medal awarded to a dog who completed 20 parachute jumps in World War II has sold for £140,000 at auction.

Rob was volunteered to help with the war effort by his Shropshire owners and was sent to north Africa with the SAS.

Basil Bayne, the son of Rob's owner, said his presence behind enemy lines saved lives, which led to him getting the PDSA's Dickin Medal for Gallantry.

The medal, known as Victoria Cross for animals, was sold on Wednesday along with books, photos and a collar.

The sale, through medal auctioneer Noonans of Mayfair in London, broke the previous world record for a Dickin Medal which had been awarded to a pigeon for its gallantry during D-Day.

The black and white collie-retriever was bought from a local farm for five shillings and became a family pet on Mr Bayne's parent's smallholding in Tetchill, near Ellesmere.

His parents heard a radio appeal for dogs to be "submitted to the war effort" for guard duty and they volunteered him in 1942, he said.

Rob was attached to the SAS and guarded ammunition dumps before being taken up on a plane with SAS officers practising parachute jumps.

US troops nearby were trialling jumps with dogs and the British troops borrowed a harness and tried a jump which he seemed to enjoy, Mr Bayne said.

"The unique thing about him was, most dogs the Americans tried barked all the way down," he said.

"Well, if you're looking for a dog to work behind enemy lines, there's not much point in advertising your presence by barking all the way down."

He stayed with the SAS in north Africa where he was credited with more than 20 jumps.

"The handler who jumped with Rob on three occasions said without his presence they would not have survived the forces and it was for that the dog was given the animal VC," Mr Bayne said.

The Dickin Medal was established in 1943 by the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) founder Maria Dickin, and is the highest award an animal can receive while serving in military conflict.

The medal has been awarded 74 times since then, with dogs, pigeons, horses and a cat honoured.

Mr Bayne said he was stunned by the amount the memorabilia sold for.

"I can't believe the price, but I am so delighted that Rob's story and legacy is held in such high respect and that the important role that him and many other animals have played in conflict is being recognised," he said.

The proceeds are to be given to the Taylor McNally Foundation charity, which trains and educates on poultry husbandry.

Christopher Mellor-Hill, from Noonans, said: "Over the years books have been written about him [Rob] and he even featured on the front page of the Radio Times.

"We believe this to be the most important Dickin Medal to ever be sold at auction."

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