Hero WW2 dog given medal for running into hail of bullets and stopping enemy fire

A US military dog who protected British and American soldiers during beach landings in the Second World War has been posthumously awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

The heroic husky-Alsatian cross - called Chips - was awarded a PDSA Dickin Medal for protecting the lives of his platoon as soldiers invaded Sicily in July 1943.

The men and Chips, who once met then prime minister Winston Churchill, landed at dawn but came under fire from a machine gun nest as soon as they arrived.

The dog escaped from his lead and ran towards the line of fire as the soldiers taking part in the US-led mission - Operation Husky - headed for cover.

Soldiers could only watch as Chips headed into a shack where enemy fighters were positioned and stopped the gunfire.

An enemy soldier then emerged from the hut with the dog at his throat before Chips grabbed a machine gun by the barrel and pulled it off its mount.

The American and British soldiers were then able to push forward.

Chips was left with scalp wounds and powder burns as a result of his efforts.

PDSA director general Jan McLoughlin said the "heroic" pooch "undoubtedly" saved lives.

She said: "It has taken over seven decades but Chips can now finally take his place in the history books as one of the most heroic dogs to serve with the US Army."

Chips also served as a sentry dog at the Casablanca Conference in Morocco in January 1943 as the Allies fought to clear Germans from North Africa.

It was during this period he met Mr Churchill and US president Franklin Roosevelt, who were deciding on the Allies' future strategy in the conflict.

The accolade was awarded on the 75th anniversary of the Casablanca Conference and was received by US Air Force dog Ayron on behalf of Chips.

Chips was donated to the war effort by the father of Vietnam War veteran John Wren, 76, who flew to the UK from New York to attend the award ceremony.

The pooch returned home when Mr Wren was four and resumed his role as the family pet after the war.

"He is finally getting good recognition of his efforts," said Mr Wren. "If you look at what he did, it was pretty unbelievable."

Other heroic animals awarded the Dickin Medal include a trio of Second World War pigeons and a Royal Navy cat called Simon.