1. Thanks to High Commissioner for the introduction. Firstly may I say how extremely honoured I am to have been invited by the Hong Kong Veterans Association of Canada to award the Dickin medal posthumously to the Newfoundland dog called Gander, mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada. I shall be presenting the award to Mr Fred Kelly, Gander's handler, whose presence here today has, I think, made this ceremony particularly moving, and we are all delighted Mr Kelly that you have recovered from your recent spell in hospital.

2. I am making the award on behalf of the United Kingdom animal charity, the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals, which was founded in 1917 by Maria Dickin to provide free veterinary care to sick and injured animals belonging to poor people. The PDSA has now become the largest charitable provider of veterinary care in the world, with 45 hospitals doing nearly one and a half million treatments each year to sick animals in the United Kingdom.

3. When I told people in England that I was going to Canada to present a medal to a dog which died nearly 60 years ago, their initial reaction was to smile - until I told them why and what I was presenting the medal for; then they gasped in admiration and sadness. Why was there this great contrast in emotion? I think because many people still do not realise what noble and courageous deeds animals are capable of doing in support of us human beings, and also what an uplifting effect their presence and companionship had on the maintenance of morale of our military personnel in a war situation.

4. This was why Maria Dickin instituted the Dickin medal in 1943. She wanted to raise the status of animals in society by rewarding them for acts of conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty when under the control of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence in World War 2 and its aftermath. The medal has now become popularly recognised as the Animal's Victoria Cross.

5. Although many animals have been decorated for valour in other countries they have normally been awarded the same medal that servicemen and women receive, like the Purple Heart in the USA or the Croix de Guerre in prance. As far as I am aware no other country has had a specific decoration for animal heroes such as the Dickin medal.

6. Including Gander, 55 Dickin medals have been awarded to 32 pigeons, 3 horses, I cat and 19 dogs. Reading some of the citations I have been really moved and very proud of what some of them did. For example, pigeons which, by the carriage of urgent messages, often through hazardous conditions, not only provided much needed information about a battle, but often saved lives as well, such as by rescuing an aircrew whose plane had ditched at sea, or of preventing 100 allied soldiers from being bombed by their own planes. Then consider the horses which, calmly and with amazing self control, continued their rescue work during the aerial bombardment of London when faced with bombs exploding all around them, and particularly incendiary bombs, as fire normally drives a horse wild with terror. Then we had a cat, on board HMS Amethyst during the Yangtse incident which, though wounded, continued to keep the rat population at bay so preserving the food supplies during the 101 day siege. And finally the dogs, showing quite remarkable deeds of courage, fidelity and endurance, whether rescuing humans and animals from under rubble, or parachuting with secret agents behind enemy lines, or saving lives by guarding our troops from or warning them about an enemy presence.

7. And so we come to Gander. We all know the story. A pet, he was called Pal, living on Gander airport, given by his owner as a mascot to the Royal Rifles of Canada who changed his name to Gander. He accompanied the Regiment to help defend Hong Kong, then displayed quite remarkable gallantry during the Japanese invasion of the island saving many Canadian lives, but sadly losing his own life in the process. When the PDSA Council of Management heard of his courage they approved the award of the Dickin medal without hesitation.

8. Before I read out the citation and make the award I would just like to say that had it not been for the determined and dedicated research by Mr Jeremy Swanson of the Canadian War Museum and Professor Howard Stutt ofMcGill University over a period of 5 years, this evidence of Gander's gallantry would never have come to light. They deserve our thanks and congratulations.

9. The citation reads: "For saving the lives of Canadian infantrymen during the Battle of Lye Mun on Hong Kong Island in December 1941. On 3 documented occasions Gander, the Newfoundland mascot of the Royal Rifles of Canada, engaged the enemy as his regiment joined the Winnipeg Grenadiers, members of Battalion Headquarters 'C' Force and other Commonwealth troops in their courageous defence of the Island. Twice Gander's attacks halted the enemy's advance and protected groups of wounded soldiers. In a final act of bravery the war dog was killed in action gathering a grenade. Without Gander's intervention many more lives would have been lost in the assault."

10. Finally let me say that, in my personal judgement, having read the citations of all 55 Dickin medals, I regard Gander's award as one of the most deserving of them all.

11. Award of the Medal.