Owners of St Bernard dogs from across the UK held a minute’s silence for the victims of the Norway terror attacks when they gathered in Montrose on Sunday to pay their respects to a second world war canine hero.
It was 67 years to the day since the remarkable wartime funeral of the legendary WWII Norwegian dog Bamse, and servicemen, local people and schoolchildren paraded from the docks to the grave site in the sand dunes at the river mouth.
St Bernard Bamse whose name is pronounced Bump-sa, and means teddy bear had a spectacular life, leaving his home in Norway on the ship Thorodd with his owner, Erling Hafto, and spending time in Dundee and Montrose during the war.
As a full member of the crew of the minesweeper Thorodd, he continued to serve until his death in Montrose in July 1944. He became an Allied forces mascot and symbol of resistance to all the free Norwegian forces.
Bamse guarded his ship and looked after his shipmates, saving the lives of two of them and much later being awarded the PDSA gold medal for these deeds. The dog left a massive impression on residents of the town and, in 2006, a statue was set up at Montrose riverfront.
Around a dozen St Bernard dogs from Scotland and Northumberland arrived at the statue at Wharf Street to honour one of the most famous of their breed.
Local dogs and owners also joined in the proceedings and were greeted by members of Montrose Heritage Trust and by Angus Whitson The Courier’s Man with Two Dogs and retired Montrose GP Andrew Orr, the authors of a best-selling book about Bamse.
Mr Whitson and Mr Orr introduced them to the story of Bamse with its local connections. Everyone then walked to the grave site and the visitors placed a specially commissioned painted stone upon the grave.
Mr Orr said, “We are delighted to see so many St Bernards and their owners here today, paying their respects to a truly heroic wartime dog. Bamse died on the 22nd July and was buried on 24th July 67 years ago and it is truly remarkable how the memory of his actions and achievements lives on.
“The statue erected by Montrose Heritage Trust in 2006 has certainly ensured his commemoration, and is drawing many visitors to Montrose.”