Judy is an interesting account of the practical service dogs provided in World War II. She scavenged whatever food she could find and distracted the enemy, risking her life on several occasions to save her fellow prisoners. Despite inhumane conditions, including starvation and physical and mental torture, Judy inspired her crewmates to stay alive. The dog’s real value became evident during her stint as a POW with Grasshopper’s crew in Sumatra. In February 1942, after Japanese aircraft sank Grasshopper, marooning its crew and passengers on an island seemingly without potable water, Judy led them to a concealed spring. Judy provided early warning of enemies approaching by land, sea or air and bought her crewmates precious time to evade harm. At the outbreak of the war her intelligence, empathy and uncanny ability to sense approaching danger proved invaluable. Born in a Shanghai kennel in 1936, Judy was the mascot of the China-stationed gunboats HMS Gnat and HMS Grasshopper. In this volume Damien Lewis shares the story of one remarkable and inspirational pointer who “served” in the Royal Navy. Dogs also provided soldiers with welcome companionship, relieving boredom during peaceful periods and raising morale among those subjected to the stresses of combat. World War II’s combatant nations used dogs for various applications, including mine detection, carrying dispatches, and sentry and patrol duty. Replete with surprise, shock, action, heroic endeavour and glory, not to mention subterfuge, treachery and dismay, this is a classic combination of combat writing and breath-taking narrative non-fiction.Judy: The Unforgettable Story of the Dog Who Went to War and Became a True Hero, by Damien Lewis, Quercus Editions, New York, 2014, $24.99 So begins the incredible true story of the SAS's mission to liberate Europe. Against all odds, outnumbered some fifty-to-one, and facing a ferocious series of cliffside defences, they would have to dare all as never before. If they failed, the consequences were unthinkable. If they succeeded, it would mark the turning point in the war. Led by the legendary SAS commander Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, these war-bitten, piratical raiders were tasked to do the impossible - to bludgeon their way through the most heavily defended enemy shoreline, so enabling the ensuing forces to follow on.

At its vanguard went a few hundred elite forces soldiers, the Royal Navy warship carrying them bearing the iconic winged dagger emblem on its prow, plus the motto 'Who Dares Wins'. In the summer of 1943, the largest invasion fleet ever assembled sailed for fortress Europe, aiming to bulldoze its way onto Nazi shores. The story of the mavericks who made the SAS

War dog by damien lewis