Judy – A Mascot For POWs
Judy is a purebred pointer captured by the Japanese in 1942, after which she was living with prisoners in POW camps. When she was brought to camp, she met Aircraftsman Frank William, who shared his food with her. At that precise moment, they bonded strongly. Judy became the mascot for all the prisoners there and boosted up morale in the POW camp. She connected with them so well that she used to protect the prisoners. Warning them through her bark, she would alert them whenever poisonous snakes, crocodiles and even tigers were nearby.
When prisoners were shipped back to Singapore, they took Judy with them. She hid from guards and authorities in a rice sack. Trusting the prisoners, she was smuggled silently.
The Shipwreck
On their way to Singapore, there was a shipwreck. This created chaos among prisoners and guards to save their lives. Frank William then pushed Judy out of the porthole to save her life and to escape from the ship. Later he got recaptured and sent to another POW camp, but he was worried about the survival of Judy. That porthole was a 15-foot drop to the sea. Soon enough, stories of a dog helping drowning people reach pieces of debris were spread all over, and he smiled with relief. He knew it must have been Judy.
A Reason To Live
When William arrived at his new camp, he couldn’t believe his eyes. To see Judy right in front of him wagging her tail was an indescribable joy. As she saw him coming near, she leaped over his shoulder and they happily spent a year together supporting each other in good times and bad. William had been given a reason to live and whenever he felt like giving up on his life, he thought about Judy. It re-energized him and motivated him to keep going as there would be no one to look after her if he died.
They Were Awarded
Once hostilities ceased, Judy and William both got an award for standing by each other in every circumstance. In England, she got the Dickin Medal award in May 1946 for her magnificent courage and endurance in the prison camp. William was awarded the PDSAs White Cross of St. Giles award for his devotion and love toward Judy. Even after the war ended, they lived together and visited relatives of POWs who had not survived the war. Judy left William at the age of 13, leaving a huge void in his life. He built a granite and marble memorial describing her life story to keep her alive in his memory.
Photos courtesy of A Barking Chance Animal Rescue via Facebook
