Dog Soldiers: Part 3 of 3: Love, loyalty and sacrifice on the front line

Liam clearly wanted Theo to receive some kind of formal recognition for his courage in conflict. In the five short months that he was in theatre the skilful spaniel located a record-breaking 14 operational ‘finds’ in one tour. The dog was known to be the best the RAVC could offer at the time, and one of the reasons why he was so very good was Liam Tasker. Everyone knew that and respected them both for all the lives saved as a result of their success. Every IED located, every haul of weapons and ammunition sniffed out was one less danger to the soldiers and to the local people. Death and life-changing injuries affected everyone in or out of a uniform.

Liam knew Theo was an extraordinary dog. His handwritten citation was ready to pass to his Commanding Officer when the tour was over: he would need their support if he intended to nominate Theo for the PDSA Dickin Medal – the Animals’ Victoria Cross. That’s what Liam wanted for his brave companion; nothing but the highest honour would do for his dog. Everyone he told about his plan for the medal was pleased and agreed that Theo deserved it. The Theo fan club was right behind the idea from day one.

Sadly, Liam and Theo didn’t make it home, but thankfully the letter did.

A sheet of A4 lined paper, folded and folded again, probably to fit into a pocket or slip into his Bergen, carried Theo’s story in scrawling black ink. You can’t help thinking that Liam started to write down his thoughts about Theo while they were out on an operation, taking advantage of one of the many quiet moments of waiting and waiting in the desert, the dog stretched out at his feet.

It has the look of an unfinished document, as if Liam was just getting into his stride describing his incredible companion and his admiration for the dog he called his mate and his best friend: ‘During all my Ops Theo has been absolutely amazing and works hard for me on every patrol which in turn has carried me through some difficult times. Even when covering over 18km in one day Theo was still raring to go all the way back to bed!’ He described Theo as a ‘character’, something Liam had been called many times himself. Maybe it was a case of two likeable rogues finding each other and giving their best?

Theo was Liam’s hero but he was a hero to others, too. There were no medals given in the Green Zone of Afghanistan but if they had one to hand the Parachute Regiment would have slapped one on Theo’s chest for sure. The man and dog were assigned to several Companies within 2 Para, including the Small Strike teams, which meant repeated daily patrols over a period of weeks. Living in dust craters in the desert, brushing through the lushness of the Green Zone and wading through the cool water of the life-giving Helmand River were everyday experiences for Theo. His insatiable high drive for the job combined with an unshakeable devotion to his handler gave the dog his unstoppable quality.