Horrie was the unofficial mascot

Military mascot

Military mascot refers to a pet animal maintained by a military unit for ceremonial purposes or as an emblem of that unit.It may also be referred to as a ceremonial pet or regimental mascot....

 for the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion

2/1st Machine Gun Battalion (Australia)

The 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion was formed on 14 December 1939 as part of the 6th Division and served in England, Greece, Crete and Papua New Guinea before becoming part of the 7th Division and serving in Borneo. The battalion was disbanded on 26 January 1946...

 of the Second Australian Imperial Force

Second Australian Imperial Force

The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...

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The Story

Horrie, an Egyptian terrier

Terrier

A terrier is a dog of any one of many breeds or landraces of terrier type, which are typically small, wiry, very active and fearless dogs. Terrier breeds vary greatly in size from just a couple of pounds to over 70 pounds and are usually categorized by size or function...

, was befriended as a puppy by Australian soldier, Private Jim Moody, when he was stationed in the Ikingi Maryut

Ikingi Maryut

Ikingi Maryut is an area in the Western Desert, outside Alexandria, Egypt. It was the site of an Allied staging camp during World War II.-References:**...

 area of Egypt

Egypt

Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...

 in 1941.

The dog became the unofficial mascot of the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion, traveling with it throughout Egypt, Greece

Greece

Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....

, Crete

Crete

Crete is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, and one of the thirteen administrative regions of Greece. It forms a significant part of the economy and cultural heritage of Greece while retaining its own local cultural traits...

, Palestine

Palestine

Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....

 and Syria

Syria

Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....

 then to Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 in 1942.
Horrie was promoted to honorary corporal as well as being assigned the service number 'EX1' (Number 1 Egyptian soldier).

Horrie was described by his owner as being intelligent and easily trained. He acted as a guard dog

Guard dog

A guard dog, an attack dog or watch dog is a dog used to guard against, and watch for, unwanted or unexpected people or animals. The dog is discriminating so that it does not annoy or attack familiar people.-Barking:...

, giving early warning of enemy aircraft. He survived the sinking of the troop carrier

Troopship

A troopship is a ship used to carry soldiers, either in peacetime or wartime...

, the Costa Rica, while being evacuated from Greece. He was also wounded by a bomb splinter in Crete.

In 1942, Moody was repatriated to Australia, but due to stringent quarantine

Quarantine

Quarantine is compulsory isolation, typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian quarantena, meaning forty-day period....

 laws, was unable to take Horrie with him. Moody decided to smuggle the dog home in a canvas bag, which was reinforced with wooden slats so that the dog could breathe.

In 1945, the law caught up with Moody who was ordered by Quarantine officials to surrender Horrie to be put down. Instead, Moody substituted another dog from the pound, who was shot in place of Horrie.

Horrie lived out his natural life near Corryong, in rural Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

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Books

Horrie is the subject of a book published in 1948 by Australian author Ion Idriess

Ion Idriess

Ion Llewellyn Idriess, OBE was a prolific and influential Australian author. He wrote more than 50 books over 43 years between 1927 to 1969 - an average of one book every 10 months, and twice published three books in one year...

. It's called, "Horrie the wog-dog: with the A.I.F. in Egypt, Greece, Crete and Palestine" and was written using material from the diary of Jim Moody.

Horrie is also mentioned in "The long carry: a history of the 2/1 Australian Machine Gun Battalion 1939-46" by Philip Hocking and published in 1997.