Smoky: The Four-Pound Yorkie Who Became a World War Two Hero

Smoky was a four-pound Yorkshire terrier who served with American forces in the Pacific during World War Two. Her most famous moment came in the Philippines, where she pulled a telegraph wire through a narrow 70-foot pipe under an airfield, sparing soldiers days of dangerous digging.

Found in a Foxhole

In 1944, American soldiers found a tiny Yorkshire terrier in an abandoned foxhole in the jungle of New Guinea. Corporal Bill Wynne bought her for two Australian pounds from a soldier who wanted the money for a poker game. He named her Smoky. She weighed about four pounds and was small enough to sit in a soldier's helmet.

Smoky at War

Smoky went where Wynne went. She is credited with flying on combat missions and surviving air raids and a typhoon. She also learned tricks, and she entertained wounded soldiers in field hospitals, which is why she is often described as one of the earliest therapy dogs.

The Pipe Under the Airfield

At the Lingayen airfield on Luzon, engineers needed to run a telegraph wire through a pipe under the runway. The pipe was about 70 feet long and only 8 inches wide, and parts of it were filled with dirt. Digging it up would have taken days and put men and aircraft at risk. Wynne tied the wire to Smoky's collar and called her from the far end. She worked her way through the dark pipe and came out the other side in minutes.

After the War

Wynne brought Smoky home to Ohio, where she performed on television and visited hospitals. She died in 1957, and memorials to her stand in Ohio and in Australia.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did Smoky the war dog do?

She pulled a telegraph wire through a 70-foot pipe under an airfield in the Philippines, a job that would have taken soldiers days of digging.

How big was Smoky?

She weighed about four pounds and stood about seven inches tall.

Was Smoky a therapy dog?

She visited wounded soldiers in hospitals during and after the war and is often described as one of the earliest therapy dogs.

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Sources

• Wikipedia: Smoky (dog): her discovery, service and the pipe at Lingayen
• Wikipedia: Invasion of Lingayen Gulf: the Luzon setting

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Cover photo: US Air Force via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.