A to Z Challenge 2024

 

A to Z Challenge 2024

This year my blog posts for the April 2024 Challenge will be about the recipients of the Dickin Medal, which you can read about here. They are in alphabetical, not chronological order, within the different letters.

K

Kenley Lass

                                                Kenley Lass

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Kenley Lass was a dark-chequered hen bred by W.H. Torkington and hatched in Poynton, Cheshire. She served with the National Pigeon Service and was the first pigeon chosen to be dropped into occupied France in 1940 with an MI6 agent. The objective was to find out if secret messages could be returned to Britain. The special agent, whose code name was ‘Philippe’, was given instructions to travel nine miles on foot without being discovered and gather information. He was then to attach the intelligence in a message to Kenley Lass and launch her to fly back to UK.

Twelve days after parachuting into France, Kenley Lass was released and flew 300 miles home, arriving on the same day she was launched. She accomplished the flight in less than seven hours. She was the first pigeon to deliver a message from occupied France. After this achievement, more pigeons were selected for training for war work.

Kenley Lass flew a second secret mission in 1941. After the war, she was sold to a man in Wiltshire and nothing more is known of her life.

In March 1945, Kenley Lass was awarded the Dickin Medal, ‘For being the first pigeon to be used with success for secret communications from an agent in enemy-occupied France while serving with the NPS in October 1940’.

 

Kuga   2007-2012

                                        Kuga on duty in Afghanistan

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Kuga was a Belgian Malinois, born in April 2007. When he was eight months old, he started training with the Australian Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) and joined his handler, a Sergeant in the regiment, who cannot be identified for security reasons, in 2009.  

Kuga and his handler started their first tour of Afghanistan in 2010. It was Kuga’s job to patrol and alert troops to concealed enemy insurgents and explosives.

In 2011, during his second tour of duty in Operation Slipper, Kuga and his handler were involved in trying to capture a senior Taliban official. Very quickly after landing from the helicopter, while searching the river bank, Kuga indicated the presence of an enemy. 

His handler released him and Kuga swam across the river to uncover an ambush position. He was injured by automatic fire, but continued to swim. Reaching the insurgent, he bit him on the arm but the gunman escaped by shooting the dog at close range, forcing him to release his grip. Kuga took five bullets, two in the ear, one in the paw, one in the cheek and one in the chest. The cheek bullet exited through his neck, while the bullet in his chest went through his shoulder, breaking his left leg. Shrapnel also damaged his lower spine. 

His handler called him off and urged him to return. Initially, Kuga sat down, reluctant to move, but eventually, with a great deal of encouragement, he crawled to the river’s edge and swam back.

From there he was evacuated by helicopter (casevaced) to be treated first in Afghanistan and later in Germany. On returning to Australia, he received further treatment for his injuries, but despite excellent, expert treatment, Kuga died from his wounds in 2012. 

His death is officially recorded as ‘Died of Wounds.’

Kuga was the first Australian dog to receive the Dickin Medal, which was awarded posthumously in 2018. The soldiers he saved recommended him for the DM and it represents honour and recognition for all the Military Working Dogs in Afghanistan. 

The citation runs, ‘For unstinting bravery and life-saving devotion to his handler and his unit, while on patrol with Operation Slipper in Afghanistan, 2011.’

                                    Odin with Cpl. M. Donaldson, V.C.

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It was received on his behalf by Odin, Kuga’s fellow MWD, alongside Corporal Mark Donaldson, V.C., who said, ‘Kuga’s actions that day in Afghanistan were heroic. There’s no doubt in anybody’s mind that he saved lives and he showed so much loyalty and courage. He wouldn’t give up on his mates and doing his job.

“Kuga and the other military working dogs we all served with in Afghanistan saved countless lives, whether they were finding IEDs or tipping us off to an enemy presence before we’d seen them. Kuga’s PDSA Dickin Medal is for all the military working dogs who worked alongside us in Afghanistan and every day since.'

Kuno  2015-present

                                                    Kuno 
                                                        Image source

Kuno was born in 2015 and is a Belgian Malinois. He was trained as a Canine Protection and Detection dog and was sent to Afghanistan in 2019. In trying and unforgiving terrain, Kuno successfully completed 16 missions in five months, detecting explosives and hidden weapons. In addition, his role was to disable the enemy if ordered so to do. The team he worked with had every confidence in him.

In a later operation, events occurred which were to have a lasting effect on Kuno’s life. He and his handler were deployed to support Special Boat Services (SBS) during a night-time raid against a heavily armed al-Qaeda compound. When they came under grenade and machine gun fire, they were unable to make progress, so Kuno was sent in to attack. Wearing night vision goggles, Kuno raced forward through a storm of bullets. Despite being shot in both hind legs, he charged the gunman, bringing him to the ground, and halting the enemy strike. His actions enabled the British troops to complete their mission successfully.

Kuno’s injuries were so severe that he had to undergo several operations before he was well enough to return to the UK for further treatment. He then had extensive reconstructive surgery and underwent an intensive programme of rehabilitation to rebuild his muscles.

Unfortunately, his right hind paw was so badly damaged that it had to be amputated and Kuno became the first UK Military War Dog to be fitted with a specially designed custom-made prosthetic limb. He also has an orthotic brace on his left hind leg. His tail was affected, too, and is now much shorter. After much physiotherapy, he has adapted well and is able to run and jump freely in his well-deserved retirement.

Kuno was awarded the Dickin Medal in August 2020 for ‘bravery and devotion to duty.’

Kuno on the day he received his DM 
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The UK Defence Secretary at the time, Ben Wallace, said, ‘Without Kuno, the course of this operation could have been very different, and it's clear he saved the lives of British personnel that day.This particular raid was one of the most significant achievements against al Qaeda in several years.Kuno's story reminds us not only of the dedicated service of our soldiers and military dogs, but also the great care that the UK Armed Forces provide to the animals that serve alongside them.’