Prince

Despite the odds being astronomical against this happening, there is documentary evidence that it did, in fact, occur.

During September 1914, James Brown left his home in Buttevant Co Cork, Northern Ireland, to join up and fight in the war that was raging across Europe. He joined the 1^st Battalion North Staffordshire Regiment, and whilst the North Staffs practised marching, it was a common sight for the soldiers to see Prince walking alongside the columns of men. Inevitably the Regiment departed for Flanders, and Prince was left behind with Mrs Brown, who fairly soon after he left relocated to Hammersmith in London. In November, Mrs Brown was distraught to discover that Prince had disappeared, not a trace could be found, and she decided to inform her husband by letter as this was the only means of communication at the time. It must be remembered that letters took a long time to arrive particularly to troops serving on the front line. The letter in question took two weeks but Private Brown immediately replied to his wife, assuring her that all was well as Prince had made his way to France and was safely ensconced in a trench with him!!

So what happened?

Well, we can only surmise; but whilst it appears to be something out of a fictional novel, maybe there is, in fact, a perfectly rational explanation.

It was common at the time that regiments that were heading for the front in World War 1 to march in columns through cities and towns whilst being cheered by patriotic crowds that had come out to offer support. It is, therefore, possible that Prince did follow the Queens Westminsters that marched through Hammersmith in November and ended up in a troop carrier crossing the English Channel to France.  The Queens Westminsters were an infantry regiment within the Territorial army and were destined for Flanders and arrived at Armentiere, where James Brown and the North Staffs were positioned; so it’s not surprising that Prince eventually arrived at the exact place where his owner was stationed. So it is no major surprise that Private Brown just happened to see a dog that resembled his own, called it and realised that it was indeed Prince, although another explanation is that a fellow soldier recognised Prince and reunited the pair of them.

Prince was to remain in France for four more years, even staying after James Brown was repatriated back home. He became the regimental mascot, was given a coat plus an identity disc and was a huge morale booster for the troops. Being a terrier, he was a natural ratter and kept the trench clear of rats, much to the delight of the men who were plagued with vermin due to the unsanitary conditions. Prince learned very early to dash for cover when enemy shelling came close.

Tall tails

There are a number of tales told about Prince, but some of the evidence is sketchy, to say the least.  Among the stories are…

The arrival of Prince spread like wildfire, and it was reported that Private Brown and Prince were ordered to present themselves to the Commanding Officer of the Regiment.

His sleeping quarters were above stables, he fell one day from the ladder and broke a leg and went on sick parade every morning, complete with coat and tags. It is said that for the rest of his life, he would lift up his leg for inspection to anyone who asked him.

He was credited with catching 137 rats in a single day.

Due to the men adopting so many dogs, an order to have most of them shot was issued, but Prince was saved as he was hurriedly registered as a “police dog.”

He went missing for several days and was considered MIA (missing in action) and presumed dead. He appeared some ten miles away among the lines of another regiment but, due to his coat and tags, was returned to Private Brown.

His party trick was to balance a penny on his nose while the men called out the names of other regiments. When they called out North Staffordshire, he would toss the penny in the air and catch it as it dropped, then bark demanding a treat.

None of these stories can be independently verified and must be taken with a “pinch of salt.”

The letter from Mrs Brown and a letter home from another soldier giving details of the whole adventure are among the documents belonging to the North Staffordshire Regimental Museum.

One Captain Newell wrote the poem called A Soldier’s Dog in 1917, which is believed to be inspired by Prince. Sadly Newell was killed in action on March 28 1918.

Back to Blighty

Prince was eventually brought back to England in 1919 by the RSPCA, quarantined for six months and finally returned to James Brown.

The years in France had taken its toll, and the story goes that in his final moments, he chased and caught a mouse, but the exertion proved too much, and Prince passed away peacefully on the 8^th of July 1921.