Gunner (dog)

Gunner (born c. August 1941) was a stray male kelpie who became notable for his reliability to accurately alert allied air force personnel that Japanese aircraft were approaching Darwin during World War II.

Career

The six-month-old black and white male kelpie was found whimpering, having suffered a broken front leg, under a destroyed mess hut at Darwin Air Force base on 19 February 1942, following the first wave of Japanese attacks on Darwin. Air Force personnel took him to a field hospital, but the doctor insisted he couldn't fix a "man" with a broken leg without knowing his name and serial number. The doctor repaired and plastered his leg after the air force personnel replied that his name was "Gunner" and his number was "0000". Gunner entered the airforce on that day.

Leading Aircraftman Percy Westcott, one of the two airmen who found Gunner, took ownership of him and became his master and handler. At first, the dog was badly shaken after the bombing, but being only six months old he quickly responded to the men's attention. About a week after, Gunner first demonstrated his remarkable hearing skills. While the men were working on the airfield, Gunner became agitated and started to whine and jump. Not long afterwards, the sound of approaching aeroplane engines was heard by the airmen. A few minutes later a wave of Japanese raiders appeared in the skies above Darwin and began bombing and strafing the town.