Johnson: Remembering all soldiers of D-Day

In search of ponies

link Sharna Johnson

It makes sense that to a large degree they got lost in the history shuffle — after all, they stood in the shadows of the 156,000 Allied troops they deployed with — yet 71 years ago today, they too stormed the beaches of Normandy as part of one of the largest amphibious assaults in military history.

These particular soldiers came from the air, joining British paratroopers in jumping out of perfectly good planes only to land, hopefully on all fours, within the sights of German guns.

Not only did they parachute from planes, British war dogs assigned to the 13th Parachute Battalion sniffed out enemy positions, mines and other explosives and were also trained to fight and protect their battalions.

Three years before Allies invaded Normandy on D-Day — which began the Battle of Normandy in World War II and led to the liberation of Western Europe from German control — The War Dog program was started by the British War Office, and citizens were asked to lend their pets to the war effort.

Struggling under hardship and glad to have an option for their pets, many answered the call and, before long, as historians have put it, the War Dog Training school was looking more like a shelter.

The dogs that ultimately ended up in France on D-Day went through extensive training — there were three, two males and one female — and they were certainly one of a kind.

Each assigned to a group of 20 men, German shepherd-collie mix Bing (known as Brian to his original owner) and German shepherds Ranee and Monty flew into France on three planes.

In training, Ranee had proven herself fearless, showing not a moment’s hesitation on her first jump when she followed her handler — and a two-pound chunk of beef he was holding as incentive — out the door of the plane only to land with grace and immediately look for her promised treat.

The boys, on the other hand, were known for making jumps with their ears flapping straight above them and their feet sticking out straight below, only to hit the ground, run for the nearest tree and lift their legs.

Ultimately, only one of the three dogs would be destined to return to England. Monty was severely injured on D-Day, and while Ranee again landed successfully, she was separated from her battalion shortly after and never seen again.

Bing, who for the first time refused to jump and had to be tossed from the plane, landed in a tree and was shot by German soldiers. Though he had wounds to his face and neck, it is said that as soon as members of his battalion cut him down, he got straight to work.

The lone remaining D-Day canine paratrooper, Bing continued to fight in Normandy with his battalion.

Not only did he save countless lives, Bing found other ways to help the men he worked with, sharing their meals, quarters, playing with them and even providing comic relief, like the time he stumbled upon a drip pan full of wine in a French barn and spent the next few hours wobbling around drunk.

When his battalion returned from war, Bing was reunited with his 6-year-old owner Betty, became a national hero and was awarded the Dickin Medal, the highest honor for animals showing gallantry in armed service. He died in 1955, at the ripe old age of 13.

The heroes of D-Day sacrificed much, as did Ranee, Monty and Bing — forever remembered as a saver of lives, bringer of smiles and a lucky little girl’s dog.

Sharna Johnson is a writer who is always searching for ponies. You can reach her at:

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