I was watching a television show today called 'In Treatment' and one of the character's mentioned that the Airedale Terrier is the only breed of dog that has ever been knighted by the King of England for bravery. This intrigued me because generally only people get knighted, but also it is always a specific person, not a group of people, so this story didn't ring true. I decided to do a little digging and could not discover any reference, other than from this television series, to an Airedale Terrier ever being knighted for bravery. I did however find many references to Airedale Terriers and the fact that they are brave animals, also that many were used as messengers during World War I.
There is one story in particular about an Airedale Terrier called Jack who ran through half a mile of swamp whilst being showered with artillery fire. When he arrived he had a broken leg and a broken jaw and he sadly passed away shortly after delivering his message. The message that he delivered saved his battalion and Jack was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for 'Gallantry in the Field'. I am thinking that perhaps the story of Jack is what this television show's writers got confused about when they added the line about the Airedale Terrier. It's funny how stories like this can get changed over the years, or misinterpreted to mean something else. In this case the Victoria Cross is a medal not a knighthood, and it was awarded to a specific dog, not a breed, but I guess they did get the breed of dog correct, they also managed to get the country correct, and the trait that Jack exhibited. So, I guess you have to give them points for getting part of the story correct.
If you would like to read about Airedale Terriers check out the dogtime website, it also has a picture of the Airedale Terrier, in case you can't imagine how they look.
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