Did you know dogs played an important role helping find air raid victims in World War 2?

Pictured here amongst the destruction, Rip was a Second World War search and rescue dog who was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in 1945. He was found in Poplar, London, in 1940 by an air raid warden, and became the service's first search and rescue dog.

Rip was not trained for search and rescue work, but took to it instinctively. In twelve months between 1940 and 1941, he found over 100 victims of the air raids in London.

His success has been held partially responsible for prompting the authorities to train search and rescue dogs towards the end of World War II.

He was the first of twelve Dickin Medal winners to be buried in the PDSA's cemetery in Ilford, Essex.

Colourised by Jecinci. Words adapted from WW2 Colourised Photos

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