Mascots and other Temporary Attached

Here are two Temporary Attached Personnel who were an integral part of 20 Armd Bde Signal Squadron, York Barracks, Munster, 1952/54. Pete and Diddy were staunch members of the OR's Cookhouse, the Cpl's Club, Sgts Mess and Officers Mess, never turned down a free meal and were devastated whenever we went off on a scheme. Here they are in one of their favourite hang outs outside the Brigade Signal Centre where they could keep an eye on all the comings and goings of the Lads.

Len (Ciphers)

We had a QM who had two boxer dogs,Major and Minor,never had any cats in the Barracks in those days.Many years after Hobart Bks in Detmold was given up we are still pestered with the relations of the camp cats,look all alike,black(can I say that)with a white breast!
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Don

What a great pic of Pete and Diddy!!!

As far as I know, the Canadians didn't have such mascots, although one of the regiments does have a rather sourly-disposed goat. I seem to recall -- vaguely -- said regiment spent time in Germany, with the obnoxious goat....I can see images of the goat and it's keeper's, in ceremonial uniform (Keepers, not the goat LOL, although the beast did wear a vest/blanket thing when being trotted out on parade), in my mind's eye but not clear enough to tell you which regiment it was. I do recall it was a regiment, however...Hussars?

If Hardrations is back from his sojourn to UK perhaps he can enlighten us, or TonyE might be able to as well.

Pete (is he the pup on the left?) looks like he might be at least part Staffordshire Terrier (what we know here in Canada, generally, as a pit bull) while Diddy appears to be border collie...lovely dogs. Staffs, well, they're a tad unpredictable and I don't trust them. Handsome animals, however.

The Royal 22nd Regiment of Quebec (Van Doos) have a goat as regimental mascot,have a look at Wikimedia-Regimental Mascots and you will see it.The guard of honour with it look pretty scruffy,thought they were cadets but some are wearing medals.Once again I wander off the subject,but in 1955 I had to go round the units on exercise to collect people referred to the field hospital on sick parade,got to the Van Doos,it was like a gypsy encampment,and I was told that I was too early ,they have sick parade when the wet canteen is open so that only the really sick are there.

Hmmmmm....it may have been the VanDoos after all.

As a quick aside for the benefit of you UK lot...the Royal 22nd was referred to as Vandoos because, en francaise, "22" is "Vingt Deux" or in Frenglish "Van Doo". It is a semi-affectionate label :-)

I can't imagine a "scruffy" guard of honour, but then many of the Vandoos were very young, very rural Quebecois who only spoke French. Of those who were bilingual, many refused to speak English unless they absolutely had to, which of course went over really well with everyone else in the Canadian Armed Forces!!

the Vandoos were also well-known to be quite the scrappers...if you were ever in a bar or alley fight, you'd want a Vandoo on your side, not throwing the punches at you! In a fight, a Vandoo will not back down and keeps coming at you. Getting beat-up by a young Vandoo often left the victim in a helluva condition.

Just back from a few days travelling in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State (US) ... great time and super scenery at this time of year. Just catching up on the Forum Posts ... its the other way round Stephen, Diddy is the Heinz 57 and Pete is the Black and White .... Don't forget Boys the most famous of all Canadian Army Mascots, the Winnipeg Grenadiers bear cub ...."Winnie the Pooh"

Len (Ciphers)"

ciphers wrote:

Just back from a few days travelling in the Cascade Mountains in Washington State (US) ... great time and super scenery at this time of year. Just catching up on the Forum Posts ... its the other way round Stephen, Diddy is the Heinz 57 and Pete is the Black and White .... Don't forget Boys the most famous of all Canadian Army Mascots, the Winnipeg Grenadiers bear cub ...."Winnie the Pooh"

Len (Ciphers)"

Thanks Len....see, I figured if the dogs were posed left to right, the names would be to! LOL But thanks for the clarification. Being a firm believer in people come to look like their names and so do dogs, yes....Pete suits the black and white; he is a Pete. I bet it was usually "Petey" though, right?

And yes, how could I possible have forgotten Winnie???? Bad Canuck, bad bad Canuck LOL What I could never figure was the original Winnie was a black bear so how did Winnie the Pooh end up as a tawny? Literary license, I suppose. Oh wait...wasn't the story that Christopher Robin decided to name his stuffed bear after Winnie...ah, yes, that's it!

If Hardrations is back from his sojourn to UK perhaps he can enlighten us, or TonyE might be able to as well.

There was an armoured out fit in Petawawa that had a horse on the pay roll. Causing great consternation in Ottawa. I think it was the 8 CH (Canadian Hussars). The RC Sigs apprentices in Kingston at one time had a naked goose as an un-official mascot, again causing some consternation. Then of course there was the regimental women. True to the regiment but rotten to the corp (old joke that one).

And I see Tony E had some doings with the Van Doo's. In the 60's they were on exercise in Gagetown. One of the Van Doo's was captured by a British out fit and found to have live ammo in his rifle. After much excitement and confusion (they believed that the out fit played for real) they found out that he was the duty deer/moose/bear hunter for the communal pot.

Dead right Stephen, Petey it was, pair of good old mutts .. missed them as much as I missed the Boys when I was posted out to Korea where the buggers eat dog meat ..

Len (Ciphers)

Regarding Petey and Diddy...I assume, like a lot of camp and regimental mascots (I know various American Marine units adopted dogs and such in Afghanistan and other theatres), they just stayed put as various units came and went, being adopted by the next draft of fellows coming through.

I can imagine if one got attached to the mutts how difficult it would be to "leave them behind." Of course, in this instance there'd at least be the consolation of them being well-looked after by the next batch of fellows, but still....

I read somewhere quite recently of a group that had formed which was trying to get various adopted animals back to the States, believing the animals (dogs, mostly) added so much to the quality of life for the soldiers stationed in these hell-holes and, in some instances, served with some distinction themselves and deserved to be brought back to a safe environment and cared for, not just abandoned and left to their own devices once the various units pulled out. I thought it made perfect sense.

There was a picture that did the rounds on the various wire services of a young Marine, in full kit, grabbing a bit of shut-eye with the cutest pup curled contentedly on his chest, also sound asleep. The Marine had one hand on his rifle and one hand draped over the pup. Great picture.

Thinking of these devoted and loving animals just "left", and not understanding where their people went or why, and being perhaps mistreated by the locals (many of them had been rescued from just such a fate to begin with) is heartbreaking.

I have a dog, Joey, and I can't imagine how he'd feel if either of us 'disappeared' on him. There were a couple of times in the last 3 years, due to circumstances, where we had to leave him with friends of mine to look after. Nearly killed me, I can tell you!

And Joey would be fine during the day, playing and such, but howl and cry all night because his people weren't with him. Heart wrenching is what it was. We have him back now, thank g-d, and he's constantly with one of us, even being taken to work by my partner.

What happened to Petey and Diddy -- or do I want to know? I certainly hope somebody, enlisted or an officer, adopted both boys and made them family pets. I would think they'd pine if separated.