Caesar the Anzac Dog

Description

When the New Zealand Rifle Brigade marched down Queen Street to board their transport ship to Egypt and the Western Front, they were led by their official mascot, a bulldog called Caesar, wearing a magnificent studded collar. One of those in the crowd who waved him farewell, and who gave her favourite hair ribbon to Caesar's handler, her uncle Tom, who tied it to his collar, was four-year old Ida, who had played with Caesar and loved him a member of the family. What happened to Caesar is told in this charming and poignant story of a little known aspect of the First World War by Ida's daughter, Patricia Stroud, who grew up with the family tales of Caesar and Uncle Tom's amazing heroism on the Western Front. Trained as a Red Cross Dog, Caesar rescued wounded soldiers from the hell that was No-Man's-Land at the Battle of the Somme. A superb and sensitive true story about the courage and loyalty of a dog and his handler, only one of whom survived. Ages 10+

Patricia Stroud is a mother and grandmother, who has researched the facts behind a much-loved family story to record a little-known aspect of our military history. As a volunteer, she spends many hours interviewing war veterans and recording their stories for the oral history archives of her local museum. Patricia and her mother Ida both live in Auckland. Bruce Potter is an accomplished and widely experienced illustrator. He was born in South Africa and now lives in Auckland with his wife and young family.