Rob's story

Rob the Collie crossbreed served with the 2nd Special Air Service Regiment. During World War II he became known as the ‘Para dog’, after completing over 20 parachute drops – many of which landed in enemy territory.

Rob was born in Scotland but adopted by Mr E Bayne, a farmer from Ellesmere, Shropshire, where he soon became a family pet. He loved to help his owner on the farm, herding cattle; gently chivvying out the hens who made forbidden raids on the garden and acting as nursemaid to Mr Bayne’s young son, Basil, who learned to walk by clutching Rob’s coat.

When war broke out, Mr Bayne heard the appeal for the loan of large dogs for national service. Partly for Rob’s own sake, as food became a scarce commodity, but also to support his country, Mr Bayne offered Rob to the War Office, who accepted him and enrolled him into the War Dogs’ Training School.When Basil’s little sister Heather was born, there was no Rob there to help her learn to walk. He was away, serving in North Africa, where he had landed with the assault infantry and was doing fine work. In January 1945, three years after Rob joined the war effort, Mr Bayne received a letter from the War Office, marked ‘Very Secret’. The letter detailed that Rob had been recommended to the Allied Forces Mascot Club to receive the PDSA Dickin Medal and that the recommendation had been passed.

Rob had been serving with the Special Air Service Regiment, which at the time was on the secret list. In 1945 though, the War Office allowed news of Rob’s award to be made public. The official citation for Rob’s PDSA Dickin Medal read: “Took part in landings in the North Africa Campaign with the Infantry Unit.

“From September 1943 he served with the Special Air Unit in Italy. Most of these operations were of an unpleasant nature.

“He was used as a patrol dog and guard on small parties which were lying in enemy territory. There is no doubt that his presence with these parties saved many of them from being discovered, and thereby from being captured or killed.”

Reports from Rob’s command detailed that he appeared to enjoy his parachute jumps and would jump from aircraft without hesitation. When he reached the ground, he would lie still until his handler joined him to remove his parachute and give him his orders.

On one mission, Rob was dropped with a party of paratroopers behind enemy lines where they remained for many months. They faced incredible dangers and through it all, Rob never failed to keep guard and display faultless devotion to duty.

Rob returned to England six months before his PDSA Dickin Medal was announced. He appeared, at an exhibition in London in aid of the Returned British Prisoners of War Fund,
accompanied by an escort of paratroopers and it was here that Rob received his Medal, presented by Captain Philip Sydney, who went on to become Lord De L’Isle and Dudley, VC.

The press loved Rob’s story and his photo appeared in many papers. Rob returned to military duties. In October 1945, when his SAS unit was disbanded he returned home.

The Bayne family drove to the station to welcome the returned hero, who was handed over by the military escort. They wondered whether his long war service and the publicity he had received had spoiled him. But they quickly noted that it had not. Rob took up his old life exactly as before. He remembered how to deal with the hens and the cattle and enjoyed retirement from military life in the Shropshire countryside with his loving family.