Equine recipients of the Dickin Medal

These three were mounts used by members of the Metropolitan Police Service during official duties and to aid civilians during the Blitz and later bombings from September 1940 to late 1944.

[1] Of the recipients, three were honoured for courage during active duty, one for remaining calm when his stable was bombed on two occasions and one to commemorate the actions of animals during the First World War.

[2] Olga, Upstart and Regal are buried at the Metropolitan Police Mounted Training Establishment at Thames Ditton which also displays their medals in a museum.

[2] On 19 April 1941 during the closing months of the Blitz, incendiary bombs dropped near the Muswell Hill police stables caused a fire to erupt in the forage room, soon spreading to the area around Regal's stall.

[2] On 3 July 1944, Olga and PC J. E. Thwaites, who had replaced her usual rider, were patrolling Besley Street SW16 near the railway line when a bomb exploded 300 feet (91 m) in front of them.

[2] The explosion destroyed four houses,[5] killed four people and caused a plate glass window to fall directly in front of Olga.

[10] Sergeant Reckless served as an ammunition carrier horse for the United States Marine Corps during the Korean War and was given the Dickin Medal for "her bravery and devotion to duty", noting that she had been wounded in battle twice and in particular her service during the Battle for Outpost Vegas in 1953 when she made 51 trips in one day, hauling ammunition up to the combat zone and bringing wounded soldiers back down.