Civil Defence Rescue Dogs 1944
 

During the flying bomb campaign of 1944 the London Civil Defence Rescue Service employed rescue dogs to search for casualties in bombed buildings.

The photo shows the Royal Family inspecting the dogs and their handlers, the latter wearing a cloth arm badge with an Alsatian/German Shepherd's head in profile. It is believed that the handlers also wore a brass cap badge with the dog's head on it.

A long shot as the handlers were few but does anyone have either of these badges sitting in their unidentified box?

I notice that, on the sleeve patch of the handler on the left, the dog faces forward and the dog on that of the handler on the right faces to the rear. I presume that they must have been worn in pairs so someone has blundered.:)

Well done. Have to admit I had missed that. Have never seen a shot of the other arm so maybe they were made in facing pairs but only worn on one arm.

Jon

doh!...now I have to look out for a "DH"-marked helmet!! :-)


Great info (both) - thank you

Perhaps it's like the current "US Marching Flag"...the dog ALWAYS has to be looking forward?.. so there were two patches....classic Brit war-time excess......

Hi all. Hope you don't mind me adding to this thread but I have been looking into Civil Defence dogs and have come across a pic online of another angle of this event showing the cap badge (albeit blurred). Photo shows Mrs. Margaret Griffin, BEM and her dog Irma who was awarded the Dicken medal for helping to find people buried in the Blitz. Two other dogs owned by Mrs. Griffin were similarly employed (Psyche and Storm).

Hopefully this is of interest and if anyone knows of examples of these badges or related items for sale I would like to hear from you.

Anything with puppies is excellent. Have to suspect that patch is not an easy one to come by!!! Also wonder what the title on the sleeve might be.

Terry

The Title looks to my eye to read Animal Rescue , just a thought :o

Gerard

To my eyes it looks like "LIGHT RESCUE", would that make sense?

Graham

Hi Graham, good shout , had a better look now on me mobile and can see RESCUE for sure but not now animal as I first thought but like you can see LIGHT , well at least the L & T.

Gerard

Shoulder titles worded "LIGHT RESCUE" did exist and I would say you've nailed it.

We move closer!!! Any ideas about what the cap badge might be?

Terry

oh this is brilliant , many thanks

Any chance the difference is ones for male and ones for female ? highly unlikely but just thinking out loud

I mean male and female handlers - not male and female dogs .... sorry , im drinking

I think i can see ` Rescue` too ?