He is noted as being the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat. Please enter your number below. As the German ran, Stubby bit him on the legs, causing the soldier to trip and fall. With Logan Lerman, Helena Bonham Carter, Gérard Depardieu, Jordan Beck. Unless a source can verify his actual birth-year of 1917, then it must be indicated as ( c. 1917–1926) instead of just (1917–1926). Sergeant Stubby is a mix of a Boston Round Head, American Bull Terrier, and a Boston Bull Terrier. America Enters WW1 Sgt. One unique hero, however, walked on all fours! Featuring the voices of Helena Bonham Carter and Gérard Depardieu, Sgt Stubby recounts Stubby’s heroic journey from a stray on the streets to becoming the most decorated dog in military history. One unique hero, however, walked on all fours! Stubby, a mixed-breed stray adopted in Connecticut as the mascot of the 26 th “Yankee” Division, became a comrade-in-arms for the doughboys of World War I. I think that Stubby – in his own little way – can really play a part in stopping people from forgetting. After being gassed himself, Stubby learned to warn his unit of poison gas attacks, located wounded soldiers in no man's land, and — since he could hear the whine of incoming artillery shells before humans could — became very adept at letting his unit know when to duck for cover. I realised immediately that Stubby was a fantastic potential conduit to bring history alive to children: he was an amazingly inspirational character for a little dog, and children relate to animals. He was born on July 21st 1916. Stubby did catch a German spy; he was taught to salute; he did go out into no-man’s land, locate the wounded and bring out the stretcher bearers; he did nurse Robert Conroy through the Spanish flu; and he did get seriously wounded and go AWOL for a month before turning up back at camp. Starting in 1921, he attended Georgetown University Law Center with Conroy, and became the Georgetown Hoyas' team mascot. These heroes came from all walks of life. The incident was later relayed in Stubby’s half-page obituary in the New York Times: “In the Chemin des Dames, Stubby captured a German spy and saved a doughboy [slang for a United States infantryman] from a gas attack. When he was a puppy in 1917, Stubby was wandering around the fields of Yale University. He was immediately promoted to the rank of sergeant by the commander of the 102nd Infantry. Whether he met George Patton [the famed US military commander who led troops in the First and Second World War] is up for debate, but we do know they were once in the same place at the same time. Stubby: An Unlikely Hero, Fun Academy Motion Pictures brings the early 20 th century back to life for audiences of all ages to enjoy. For capturing an enemy spy, Stubby was put in for a promotion to the rank of Sergeant by the commander of the 102nd Infantry. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. When a commanding officer discovered Stubby’s presence, the dog responded by saluting him. Stubby was also featured in the Brave Beasts exhibit at the Legermuseum in Delft, The Netherlands. Everything you ever wanted to know about... 7 things you probably didn’t know about America’s entry and involvement in the First World War, The telegram that brought America into the First World War, Find out more about the Sergeant Stubby movie here. For Stubby to be several weeks old in 1917 could possibly indicate that he was born in late 1916. Stubby was a stray dog, wandering around a Yale University field, when he was rescued in 1917 by John Robert Conroy, a soldier being trained for World War I combat. Stubby was found wandering the grounds of Yale Field in New Haven, Connecticutwhile a group of soldiers were training. 2. Stubby, according to vintage articles from his time (linked below in "references") and this 1921 one in particular, was noted to be a Boston Bull Terrier, which is the old term for the Boston Terrier breed. I look at audience comments from our US viewers, for example, and they say that children wanted to know more about the First World War after watching the film. The answer came in the book Once There Was a War, a collection of articles by John Steinbeck, who was a war correspondent during the Second World War. We couldn’t follow Stubby chronologically through four campaigns and 17 battles, for example. “Does every generation have to prove itself in Britain?” Kavita Puri on the experiences of South Asians in Britain. Stubby was found while wandering the campus Yale University in Connecticut while the 102nd Infantry was training. You can unsubscribe at any time. If you subscribe to BBC History Magazine Print or Digital Editions then you can unlock 10 years’ worth of archived history material fully searchable by Topic, Location, Period and Person. Sergeant Stubby was a dog born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. Although his story is theoretically an American one, the First World War was something we were all involved in and can relate to. Sergeant Stubby was a dog, born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. Sergeant Stubby (c1916–1926) was an American dog who served as the mascot of America’s 102nd Infantry Regiment during the First World War. Sergeant Stubby, was born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. The soldier called to Stubby, who put his ears back and began to bark. Died Washington, D.C., 1926. Lest we forget. He was solely responsible for capturing a German spy in the Argonne. He was an ownerless stray when he was befriended by J. Robert Conrad, a private in the 102nd Infantry of the 26th “Yankee” Division in training at Camp Yale in Connecticut. Truth vs. fiction about the famous WWI war dog. A mutt, suspected to be either a Bull Terrier or Boston Terrier, Stubby was a stray at Yale University when he was adopted by a soldier drilling as part of the 102nd Infantry in 1917. Sergeant Stubby (July 21, 1916 – March 16, 1926), has been called the most decorated war dog of World War I and the only dog to be nominated for rank and then promoted to sergeant through combat, a claim for which there is no official documentary evidence, but is recognized in connection with an exhibition at the Smithsonian Institution. See more ideas about sergeant stubby, sergeant, war dogs. Nobody knows exactly when Stubby was born, but it’s thought to have been during the first half of World War I. He became the first dog to be given rank in the United States Armed Forces. Attempts by the German to deceive the dog were futile. Stubby", http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2013/05/27/Canine-soldiers-earn-accolades.html, "1921 The Evening World: Stubby, a brindle Boston Bull Terrier...". You're now subscribed to our newsletter. Source: Wikipedia/Public Domain Conroy brought Stubby back to the camp, leaving food out for him and letting him slip in the barracks and although pets weren’t allowed, Stubby provided a … He continued to attack the man until the U.S. soldiers arrived. Stubby was a stray dog, wandering around a Yale University field, when he was rescued in 1917 by John Robert Conroy, a soldier being trained for World War I combat. Sergeant Stubby. Sergeant Stubby, was born in America during 1916 or 1917 when the war was already going on. 2. Sergeant Stubby was a dog, born in America in about 1916 when the war was already going on. Born New Haven, Connecticut, circa 1916. The descendants of Robert Conroy (Stubby's inseparable companion) tell the real story. Although the US military didn’t yet have an official ‘military working dog’ programme, Stubby’s instincts and charm made him a firm favourite with the men of the regiment, who taught him how to raise his paw ‘in salute’. But how much do you know about the decorated war dog? Stubby died of old age in 1926, and Conroy held him in his arms until the dog had taken his last breath. Find out more about the Sergeant Stubby movie here, This article was first published on History Extra in September 2018, Save a huge 50% off a subscription to your favourite history magazine. Sergeant Stubby. Having said that, we did have to amalgamate a lot of events for the purpose of telling a story and use some artistic license. Robert Conroy enrolled in Georgetown Law School in 1921, and Stubby became mascot of the football team. The descendants of Robert Conroy (Stubby's inseparable companion) tell the real story. The crowds loved seeing him on the field. For Stubby, he happened to wander on to a Yale field where young Private J. Robert Conroy was training for World War I. Stubby’s story remained relatively untold until recently, when he was immortalised in a new animated film. Sergeant Stubby and J. Robert Conroy, March 1919. When he recovered from his wounds, Stubby returned to the trenches. It was a real challenge, but we tried to be as sensitive as possible. [5] Stubby served with the 102nd Infantry, 26th (Yankee) Division in the trenches in France for 18 months and participated in four offensives and 17 battles. His sense of smell, too, meant that he could readily detect mustard gas attacks: he once saved an entire company by alerting the men to don their gas masks. In April 1918, during a raid to take Schieprey, Stubby was wounded in the foreleg by the retreating Germans throwing hand grenades. Stubby is still recognized as the most decorated dog in … Here are some interesting things to know about this four-legged hero. By the time the unit had left for France, Private Conroy had become so devoted to his new furry friend that he stowed him on the ship. He also helped free a French town from the Germans. Stubby was an amazing opportunity to bring some of the realities of history to children in an age-appropriate way. Private John Robert Conroy, who developed a fondness for the dog, brought him to his camp and named him Stubby because of his stumpy tail. Rachel Dinning is the Digital Editorial Assistant at History Extra. To coincide with its release, we caught up with the film’s director Richard Lanni: A: I came across Stubby while working on a series of history documentaries about the American experience of the First World War. A: Most of the film – I’d say 90 per cent of it – is based on real events. The Beginning. A: I think so. At the end of the war, Conroy smuggled Stubby home. A: The problem we faced was this: how do we tell a family film about one of the worst events in modern history? 1. Stubby went on to become a very brave soldier and won a lot of medals before he reached the age of two. The dog hung around as the men drilled and one soldier, Corporal Robert Conroy, developed a fondness for the Boston Terrier. Thanks! Many people don’t know that much about the war, particularly in America where people were perhaps less directly affected compared to those in Europe. Stubby’s Day. Once he recovered, his newly heightened sensitivity gave him the ability to detect incoming attacks and alert his brothers-in-arms. Truth vs. fiction about the famous WWI war dog. Home » History » Sergeant Stubby. But just as the real Stubby’s journey took him from homeless mutt to celebrated Soldier, his animated counterpart’s journey to the big screen has been quite the adventure … a story nearly a decade in the making. 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