Loughborough war dog celebrated with sculpture
‘Bing’ the dog was an Alsatian and Collie cross who was parachuted into Normandy on D-Day
A dog from Loughborough which served during the Second World War has been recognised with a metal sculpture in Queen’s Park.
‘Bing’ the dog was an Alsatian and Collie cross who was parachuted into Normandy on D-Day in 1944 and into the Rhine in Germany in 1945.
Bing was trained to locate the enemy and protect military personnel during the Second World War and was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal in 1947 for bravery in service – the animal equivalent to the Victoria Cross.
The sculpture is part of a project led by Loughborough in Bloom and supported by Charnwood Borough Council.
Mayor of Charnwood, Cllr David Northage attended the unveiling of Bing in Queen’s Park on Thursday, 6 November, ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
The Mayor said: “Bing’s story is truly remarkable and it is great to be able to recognise him with this sculpture in Queen’s Park.
“Loughborough has a rich military history and Bing is part of that, along with all the other animals that helped servicemen and women during the Second World War.
“I am pleased that Bing has been installed in front of the Carillon Tower ahead of Sunday’s Remembrance service in which we will pay tribute to those who have served in our armed forces and paid the ultimate price to protect our way of life.”
The sculpture of Bing has been installed in the flower bed next to the wire mesh sculpture of Loughborough war horse, Songster, which was unveiled in 2018.
The unique sculpture of Bing, commissioned on behalf of Loughborough in Bloom, was designed and created by talented Loughborough artist, Duncan Thurlby.
Pat Cook, Loughborough in Bloom chair, said: “It is really pleasing to see the sculpture of Bing installed in Queen’s Park.
“We are always looking for ways to pay tribute to our armed forces and this year we have dressed two trees in knitted poppies and have been able to unveil Bing. We wanted to recognise Bing for the amazing work he did during the Second World War and his fascinating story.”
Bing was given to the army in 1944 when his owners, the Fetch family from Loughborough, could no longer feed him due to rationing.
He went onto be trained at the Army War Dog Training School in Hertfordshire before joining the army and was part of the 13th Parachute Battalion, 6th Airborne Division, over Normandy during D-Day on 6 June 1944.
Bing would then remain in France until September 1944 and was trained to locate the enemy and protect military personnel.
In March 1945, Bing was parachuted into the Rhine and took part in both Operation Varsity and Operation Plunder as part of the advance into Germany.
Bing would then be returned to the Fetch family following the end of the Second World War.
Loughborough in Bloom and the Forest Road Greenbelt Gardeners have also dressed trees in Queen’s Park and on the Forest Road Greenbelt in knitted poppies ahead of Remembrance Sunday.
The annual Remembrance Sunday service takes place on Sunday, 9 November at Queen’s Park in Loughborough.
This year’s parade will start from the Market Place at 10.20am and make its way through the town centre and to the Carillon Tower, where the service will start at 10.50am.
You can find more details about this year’s Remembrance Sunday service in Loughborough, and those taking place throughout the borough, on the Council’s website: www.charnwood.gov.uk/remembrance.