Judy (1936 – 17 February 1950) was a ship's dog aboard HMS Gnat and Grasshopper stationed on the Yangtze before and during World War II.

After part of the crew transferred from Gnat to Grasshopper in June 1939 the ship was sent to Singapore after the British declaration of war on Germany.

After trekking across 200 miles of jungle for five weeks, during which Judy survived an attack from a crocodile, the crew arrived a day after the final vessel had left and subsequently became prisoners of war of the Japanese.

She was eventually smuggled into the Gloegoer prisoner of war camp in Medan, where she first met Leading Aircraftsman Frank Williams, with whom she would go on to spend the rest of her life.

[1] She moved around several more camps, and survived the sinking of the transport ship Harugiku Maru where in the aftermath she saved several passengers from drowning.

Searle, Williams, and others smuggled Judy back to the UK aboard a troopship and she spent the next six months in quarantine after arriving.

J. Waldergrave and Chief Petty Officer Charles Jefferey, purchased Judy from the kennel and presented her to the crew.

[17] The crew began to find the dog useful in navigating the river, as she was able to alert them to cess boats in sufficient time to close all hatches and minimise the smell.

[19] In the early morning after Ladybird departed, Judy alerted the ship to the presence of river pirates who were about to board Gnat in the darkness.

[28] Ten of them survived and were eventually given away to a variety of sources including Francis Garnier and the American gunboat USS Guam.

[32] Judy was initially sea sick, but the crew ensured that she was properly exercised and by the time the ship arrived on station, she had recovered.

Boats were lowered and the crew and evacuees were ferried just over a hundred yards to shore whilst the Japanese planes strafed the vessels.

[51] There they left their wounded, and Judy along with the other survivors travelled two days later on a Chinese junk to Sumatra where it was hoped that a British force remained which could take them to Sri Lanka.

Chief Petty Officer Leonard Williams recorded, "thus began 3–4 years of the most horrific labour, torture, starvation, and every degradation the Japanese could inflict on us".

[41] She was looked after by Les Searle from Grasshopper, and a Private named Cousens who had a job making leather goods for the guards.

Cousens would feed scraps of leather to Judy,[62] but died of malaria a short time after the two servicemen had stolen a large quantity of rice from the Japanese.

[63] In August, Judy met Leading Aircraftman Frank Williams, who adopted her and shared his daily handful of rice.

Williams managed to convince the camp Commandant, who was drunk on sake, to sign the registration papers with the promise of one of Judy's future puppies.

[41][65] A further puppy was given to the Red Cross in Medan, one more was beaten to death by a drunken guard, and the final one remained in the camp after Judy and Williams left.

[67] Dogs were not allowed aboard, but Frank Williams taught Judy to lie still and silent inside a rice sack.

For three hours the men were forced to stand on deck in the searing heat, and for the whole time Judy remained still and silent in the bag on Williams' back.

[81] Two members of the Royal Air Force (RAF) parachuted in, and informed the residents to remain until allied troops arrived.

[1][82] Together with Williams, Searle, and two others,[82] Judy managed to avoid the dock police and was delivered into the care of the ship's cook, who ensured that she was fed on the voyage home.

Between the Captain and RAF serviceman Brian Comford, whose father was a barrister, the authorities were convinced to allow the dog to land.

[85] During his posting to Sunninghill Park with Judy, where he underwent refresher training from the RAF, Frank would sell photographs of the dog to raise money for the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.

[87] Williams was given the White Cross of St Giles,[88] with each awarded by Major Viscount Tarbat MC, chairman of the Returned British POW Association.

[3][89] For magnificent courage and endurance in Japanese prison camps, which helped to maintain morale among her fellow prisoners and also for saving many lives through her intelligence and watchfulness She was interviewed by the BBC for their radio coverage of the London Victory Celebrations of 1946 on 8 June and her barks were broadcast around the world as part of the programme In Town Tonight.

[90] The pair appeared at the "Stars of Blitz and Battlefront" event held at Wembley Stadium, in front of over 82,000 spectators along with fellow Dickin Medal winner Rob.

The two dogs had become friendly at various events where they appeared together, and at Wembley when a Borzoi bit Judy backstage, Rob came to her defence.

[95] After two years there, Judy was discovered to have a mammary tumour; an operation removed the growth, but a tetanus infection soon set in, and she was euthanized on 17 February 1950 at the age of nearly 14.