Just nuisance

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Just nuisance in uniform

Just Nuisance (* 1. April 1937 in Cape Town -Rondebosch; † 1. April 1944 in Simon's Town ), actually Pride of Rondebosch was a Dogg male who in the Royal Navy formally as Able Seaman (Engl. Able seaman ) was performed. He was the only dog to ever hold such a position in the Royal Navy.

His nickname can be translated as “nothing but trouble”.

Just Nuisance with Seafarers, taken in Cape Town in 1942
Tombstone
Memorial in Jubilee Square

Life

On February 27, 1938, the dog was registered as a Great Dane (English: Great Dane ) with the name Pride of Rondebosch. His father was called Koning and his mother was Diana. In March 1938, the dog was sold to Benjamin Chaney, who took him to Simon's Town , where he ran a seafarer's home, the United Services Institute . The dog liked the guests and tried to follow them when they left the hostel.

At a young age, the male reportedly often drove on his own on trains between Simon's Town and Cape Town and seemed to know the transport network perfectly. He accompanied the sailors to the shipyard and the jetties and always knew where to get off. His friendly character made him popular with seafarers, whom he also regarded as his special friends. He preferred to lie on the deck of the HMS Neptune (20) in a passage during the day , where he was very annoying, but he was reluctant to be moved from there. That earned him the nickname by which he became known.

His independent use of the trains became a problem. Dogs were not allowed to travel by train without an owner, and Just Nuisance was strikingly large for its breed. The train staff felt annoyed and unsettled by him. If he was thrown off the train, he took the next one. The sailors tried to hide it from the conductors' eyes, but that was difficult given its size.

In the service of the Navy

When the railway company finally announced that the dog put to sleep if he should continue to drive without owners and ticket by train, there were outraged reactions. Many offered to buy him an annual pass.

The responsible commander of the Royal Navy solved the conflict by formally appointing Just Nuisance as a sailor: As a war volunteer, the dog was allowed to use all trains freely. On August 25, 1939, Just Nuisance was accepted into the Royal Navy and served as a board dog on the HMS Afrikander until January 1, 1944 . Like any seaman, he had to undergo a medical fitness test and passed it. His paw print was placed on the entry form as a signature. A man was assigned to look after the dog and see that it appeared at parades wearing a hat.

During his service, which coincided with World War II, Just Nuisance comforted many soldiers with his trusting manner. If two sailors got into an argument, he separated them by straightening up and putting his large front paws on their chests. If he found a drunken sailor, according to stories, he would take him to Simon's Town, whether the man was stationed there or not. Just Nuisance never went to sea, but felt at home on all the Royal Navy ships that docked in Simon's Town.

Just Nuisance, on the other hand, “committed” a number of service violations, some of which have been documented. For example, he slept on officers' beds and often left the place of work without a marching order ( absent without leave , which officially amounts to deserting). These violations were punished, if at all, for example through several days of bone removal.

He was mated to the bitch Adinda, also a Great Dane. Adinda gave birth to five puppies from him, two of which, Victor and Wilhelmina, also achieved local fame.

Accident and death

At the age of six, Just Nuisance contracted a thrombosis in a traffic accident , which caused progressive paralysis . He was released from service on January 1, 1944 and, on the advice of a veterinarian , euthanized on April 1, 1944, his seventh birthday. His body was buried the next day with full military honors, including gun salutes and the horn signal The Last Post .

Commemoration

Just Nuisance's life has become part of Simon's Town's local culture. His papers, his collar and a number of photographs are exhibited in the city museum.

A memorial created by Jean Doyle in Jubilee Square has been commemorating him since 1985 .

On April 1, 2000, the dog's 63rd birthday, a parade was held in which, among other things, 26 Great Danes competed for the price of the most similar-looking dog (“look-alike competition”).

literature

Web links

Commons : Just Nuisance  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Just Nuisance: Much More Than Just A Dog. The legendary tale of Cape Town's most famous great dane. In: Cape Town Magazine. Accessed April 28, 2020 (English).
  2. ↑ His file, now in the Stadtmuseum, shows three entries: Traveling on the railways without a pass. Punishment Awarded: Confined to the banks of Froggy Pond, Lily Pool, with all lamp posts removed. Did sleep in an improper place, namely in a bed in the Petty Officers' dormitory. Punishment Awarded: Deprived of bones for seven days. Did resist ejection from the Sailors '& Soldiers' Home. No punishment awarded. ( [1] , accessed April 28, 2020)