In what has now become an iconic and widely acclaimed photo, revealing with clarity the emotional bond that through the ages has tied canines to soldiers and humans in general, Willie, the English Bull Terrier, lies morose next to the personal belongings of U.S. General George S. Patton – a few days after Patton’s road accident and death from severe cervical trauma in December, 1945.
Willie, the English Bull Terrier.
Named after a starving young boy, Patton had once fed at his barbecue during the Depression of 1929, Willie was known to many as William the Conqueror. He was originally named Punch and was the companion of a Royal Air Force pilot, but after whose disappearance during a bombing run over Germany, was put up for adoption by his widow and subsequently acquired by the Third Army for their General – who at the time far from home and family had yearned for the love of a canine, and is known to have personally requested the wife of British army general, Oliver Leese, to help him find a suitable pet.
Greetings Cards by Farbound.Net, featuring George Patton and Willie.
Purchased on the 4th of March in 1944 and introduced to the General the very next day, the bond between the two had been instantaneous. A sentiment Patton reveals in a letter addressed to his wife Beatrice, dated 6th of March in 1944, gushing with tender fondness over how the year-old pup had taken to him like a duck does to water.
Though Patton and Wille’s friendship had lasted for barely over a year. It nevertheless was one of happiness for both. While Willie, with the true heart of a canine, had focused all his love and devotion on the General, happy to have found a new home and followed him around as canines do. Patton, who often found himself humiliated and overlooked for his controversial statements in public, despite his brilliant victories, had found the comfort and companionship he long yearned for – and as a passionate animal lover with a particular fondness for English Terriers, spared no effort in pampering his new found best friend as best he could.
Farbound.Net Digital Wallpaper featuring George S. Patton.
Birthday party for Willie.
Shortly after Wille’s arrival, the General had arranged for a belated birthday party and gradually taken to fatten up the undernourished pup by feeding him from the army mess hall and his very own plate. Patton is also known to even gone to the extent of having the metal-rimmed stairs of his armoured van encased with wood so as not to hurt the terrier’s paws.
As George Patton’s second in command, Willie had enjoyed unrestricted access at Third Army Headquarters. He had strolled in and out of high-level conferences and was privy to top-secret plans. He was also issued his own U.S. Army dog tags, which an August Edition of Life Magazine, dated 1944, featured in an article titled: The Coming Battle for Germany.
He had greeted guests sitting on a couch next to Patton, shared his bed, farted and snored much to the amusement of the General. The only occasion he was grounded was when he had picked a fight with General Eisenhower’s, Scottish Terrier, named Telek, underneath the dining table.
Eisenhower was Patton’s commanding officer, and out of respect for the chain of command, the General had sent Willie out of the room.
Willie’s separation anxiety.
After Patton’s sudden death in 1945, the devoted Willie, naturally, had suffered from a few days of separation anxiety. He was eventually transported along with the rest of the General’s belongings to his family and widow Beatrice –Â to live out the rest of his days as a member of the Patton family.
Both George and Beatrice Patton were devoted animal lovers. Their home at one time or another had harboured seventeen canines of different breeds, horses, white mice, kittens, and rabbits.
As well as fish, turtles and even a duck named Lemoyne – whose escapade on a stormy night had led the couple to abandon entertaining guests at a dinner party to go on a search and rescue mission in the pouring rain.
The Pattons’ motto was that pets were no good unless treated like family.
The Photo and Caption.
This poignant photo of Willie, which was produced by an unknown U.S. Army photographer, is archived by the National Archives and Records Administration. The caption attached to the photo reads, “A Faithful friend mourns American hero. Along with the many millions to mourn the passing of American hero, General George S. Patton, Jr., is his dog Willie, the late general’s pet bull terrier. Bad Nauheim, Germany. International News Photos, 1/1946”.
Willie’s year of birth is recorded to be 1942. He passed away at the age of 13 in 1955, outliving both George and his wife Beatrice Patton. Willie and the General were so close that they are said to have resembled each other in countenance and gaze.
It is also said that Willie as a pup had even accompanied his original owner, the Royal Air force Pilot, on flights and bombing runs.
I F I This is an Independent Story produced to highlight the history behind this iconic Vintage Photo of George Patton’s English Bull Terrier, Willie, next to his belongings. The photo was taken after Patton’s death in 1946, a few days after the end of World War II. The story also highlights the emotional bond that exists between canines and humans. It has been created from facts curated from literary and historical sources. I
