Caesar, the Anzac dog

Caesar, A Company, 4 Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade

Caesar the bulldog, wearing his official collar, led the grand parade down Auckland's Queen St before the Rifle Brigade left New Zealand for the war. He was a trained Red Cross dog and helped rescue wounded troops during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Dogs were especially useful for helping stretcher-bearers find wounded soldiers in no man's land at night.

Caesar was killed in action. His collar is now held at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Patricia Stroud wrote a book about his life, Caesar the Anzac dog, which was illustrated by Bruce Potter.

On 27 February 2019 a Blue Cross Medal was awarded to 'Ceaser' at the National Army Museum, Waiōuru. He was New Zealand’s first recipient of the Blue Cross Medal, an award for bravery.  His name was misspelt originally, and so it remains: Ceaser, not Caesar.

A detail of Caesar's collar from the Auckland War Memorial Museum.