Belgian Malinois named Kuno to receive the Dickin Medal: Medal for hero dog which saved soldiers' lives
Magawa the mine detecting rat awarded the PDSA Gold Medal: Mine-detecting rat wins animal bravery award
Rip' the dog helps this Air Raid Precautions Warden to search amongst rubble and debris following an air raid in Poplar, August 1941. The Warden signals for help from his colleagues to search the spot indicated by Rip. Picked up as a stray by an ARP warden, Rip became one of eight dogs on the Home Front to win the Dickin Medal for bravery. Rip was a frequent sight around his patch in Poplar and rescued many people from bombed buildings. Rip was attached to ARP station B 132. It is possible that this ARP Warden is Warden E. King, the warden that originally found Rip. IWM D 5945
At the Devils Porridge Museum at Gretna they have on display the Dikin medal that was awarded to the pigeon Dutch Coast. Dutch Coast - Wikipedia Dutch Coast was bred and owned by Mr J Flower of Radcliffe-on-Trent, and was a red cock of the Osman strain of racing pigeons. After being donated into military service, the bird was placed on a bomber so as to relay an S.O.S. message if the plane was shot down. It was given the military designation NURP.41. A.2164. In April 1942, the bomber on which it was on board was ditched in the water near the Dutch coast. The bird was the only one on-board and was retrieved by the crew who released it from the dinghy at 6:20am. It travelled some 288 miles in 7 and a half hours under poor conditions, back to RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire. For this action, it was awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945, described as the animal's Victoria Cross.
The American Army and Marine Corps also had war dog platoons during WW II. Veternarian turned lieutenant William Putney's Always Faithful tells the story of the 2nd and 3rd USMC War Dog Platoon. Useful to help detect night movement and to locate hidden Japanese. By war's end, every Marine division had a platoon of war dogs and specially trained handlers.