The Dog that Saved My Life. Isabel George

In August 2009 they succeeded in seeing the unveiling of a memorial wall depicting the battle and the names of the people lost in the conflict. The unveiling was a proud and long-awaited moment for the surviving veterans of the Battle of Lye Mun. It was also the foundation stone for the memorial that will go on to feature a bronze of Canada’s canine hero – Gander.

      During the battle for Hong Kong Gander proved that he was a ‘soldier dog’. He was no longer a child’s pet, he was a war dog who slept, ate and drank only when he was not facing the enemy. Gander was not trained to be a messenger or a guard dog, like so many other pet dogs were during the Second World War. He just found himself on active service and did what he had done from the start – he gave his friends comfort, companionship and a cosy reminder of home so very far away. But in the throes of battle, Gander was the soldier dog that the hostilities made him.

      Gander is now recognized as a Canadian hero of the Second World War. But to his soldier friends he will always be their best pal.