| Horrie | |
|---|---|
Horrie wearing his Corporal's uniform |
|
| Species | Dog |
| Breed | Terrier |
| Sex | Male |
| Born | 1941 Ikingi Maryut, Egypt |
| Died | Unknown Corryong, Victoria |
| Nation from | Egyptian |
| Occupation | Unofficial mascot of the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion.[1] |
| Years active | 1941 - 1942 |
| Employer | Royal Australian Infantry |
| Owner | Jim Moody |
Horrie was the unofficial mascot for the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion of the Second Australian Imperial Force.
Contents |
Horrie, an Egyptian terrier, was befriended as a puppy by Australian soldier, Private Jim Moody, when he was stationed in the Ikingi Maryut area of Egypt in 1941.[2]
The dog became the unofficial mascot of the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion, traveling with it throughout Egypt, Greece, Crete, Palestine and Syria then to Australia in 1942. Horrie was promoted to honorary corporal as well as being assigned the service number 'EX1' (Number 1 Egyptian soldier).
Horrie was described by his owner as being intelligent and easily trained. He acted as a guard dog, giving early warning of enemy aircraft. He survived the sinking of the troop carrier, the Costa Rica, while being evacuated from Greece. He was also wounded by a bomb splinter in Crete.
In 1942, Moody was repatriated to Australia, but due to stringent quarantine laws, was unable to take Horrie with him. Moody decided to smuggle the dog home in a canvas bag, which was reinforced with wooden slats so that the dog could breathe.
In 1945, the law caught up with Moody who was ordered by Quarantine officials to surrender Horrie to be put down. Instead, Moody substituted another dog from the pound, who was shot in place of Horrie.
Horrie lived out his natural life near Corryong, in rural Victoria.
Horrie is the subject of a book published in 1948 by Australian author Ion Idriess. It's called, "Horrie the wog-dog: with the A.I.F. in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Palestine" and was written using material from the diary of Jim Moody.
Horrie is also mentioned in "The long carry: a history of the 2/1 Australian Machine Gun Battalion 1939-46" by Philip Hocking and published in 1997.