What did Sergeant Stubby do?
Sergeant Stubby was a dog who helped soldiers fighting in World War One.
Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier who won lots of medals before reaching the age of two.
Watch: Sergeant Stubby the war hero dog
Watch this animation for a short summary of Sergeant Stubby's life.
NARRATOR: Sergeant Stubby, courageous canine.
One day in 1917 some soldiers in America made friends with a dog after he wandered onto the field they were training in.
One of the soldiers, Corporal Robert Conroy, especially liked the dog and named him Stubby because of his short tail.
The USA joined World War One in 1917 and Corporal Conroy was sent to fight in France.
He didn’t want to leave Stubby so had him smuggled onto his ship.
Stubby had a greater sense of smell than the soldiers.
When he smelt gas he barked to warn the soldiers so that they could put on their gas masks in time.
He had excellent hearing and would move his tail to warn the soldiers that the enemy was approaching.
Stubby also searched the battlefield for injured soldiers. He would bark for help when he found one.
On the Western Front, Stubby was involved in many battles and also suffered from injuries.
He was made an unofficial Sergeant and was given many medals and awards for his bravery.
After the war, Stubby lived with his friend Corporal Conroy.
Stubby died in 1926 but is still remembered for helping so many soldiers in such a difficult time.
How did Stubby join the army?
Stubby was found wandering across an army training session in Connecticut (in the United States of America) in 1917.
One soldier, Corporal Robert Conroy, took a liking to him and decided to call him Stubby because of his short tail.
When Conroy had to go and fight, he did not want to leave Stubby behind, so he smuggled him on to the ship to France with him.
What did Stubby do during the war?
Sergeant Stubby took part in many battles, including the Battle of Marne and the Battle of Chateau-Thierry.
Stubby provided a number of skills that benefited the soldiers:
- Stubby had great hearing and he knew when the enemy was coming, even from far away.
- He took on the role of a mercy dog, where he found and comforted dying and injured soldiers in battle.
- Dogs have a greater sense of smell than humans, so Stubby was able to detect the dangerous smell of gas before any of the human soldiers could.
Stubby however did get injured whilst helping the soldiers. He once got caught in a gas attack, and he also got hit by shrapnel from a grenade. Shrapnel are little fragments of metal that are thrown out after an explosion.
How did people pay tribute to Stubby?
Stubby's bravery and courage touched a lot of people, and many wanted to pay tribute to him for all of his hard work.
Image caption, Stubby marched through many parades
Stubby went to lots of marches and enjoyed the praise and attention he got from people all across the United States of America.
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What happened to Stubby?
Sergeant Stubby died in 1926, when he was about 10 years old.
Stubby gained so much popularity during his life that the New York Times newspaper wrote an article celebrating his life.
It said that he did not get scared, even when his fellow soldiers did.
It also said Stubby's greatest skill was giving ''comfort and cheerfulness'' because he helped so many soldiers through such a difficult time.
Activities
Activity 1: Quiz – Who was Sergeant Stubby?
Activity 2: History Explorer game
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