Patton's Dog Willie

US 3rd Army Commander Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. and Willie
US 3rd Army Commander Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. surrounded by his staff. At his feet is his English Bull Terrier "William the Conqueror" (usually called Willie). Late 1944 or early 1945. Click image for more about this photo.

Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo.  More ↓
9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

William the Conqueror, Gen. Patton's Dog

US 3rd Army Commander Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. and Willie

General George S. Patton, Jr. was an animal lover with a particular attraction to bull terriers. He bought his first one, called Tank, just after World War I.

During World War II, on 4 March 1944 at the height of Patton's fame, he purchased the famous white bull terrier named Willie, short for "William the Conqueror." For the rest of Patton's life, Willie and General Patton went everywhere together.

Willie had his own set of "dog tags," and had quite a reputation with the "lady" dogs. Gen. Patton doted on the dog and even hosted a birthday party for him.

Bill Mauldin Meets Patton

Not everyone was charmed by Patton and Willie. When Sgt. Bill Maudlin, Stars and Stripes cartoonist, met Gen. Patton in March 1945, he described Willie this way:

Beside him, lying in a big chair, was Willie, the bull terrier. If ever dog was suited to master this one was. Willie had his beloved boss's expression and lacked only the ribbons and stars. I stood in that door staring into the four meanest eyes I'd ever seen.

Willie Loses His Master: The Death of Patton

On 9 December 1945, Gen. Patton suffered injuries as the result of an automobile accident. He died 12 days later, on 21 December 1945 and is buried in a simple grave at the U.S. military cemetery in Hamm, Luxembourg, among the soldiers who died in the Battle of the Bulge.

Willie mourns after Patton's death
Photo taken right after Gen. Patton's death, as Willie waits with personal belongings to be shipped to the United States.
Click the image for more information about the photograph.

Willie, Patton's constant companion during the war, was sent to the United States, and lived out the rest of his life with the General's wife and daughters. A twelve-foot-high bronze statue of Patton and Willie has been erected at the General Patton Memorial Museum, off Interstate 10 in Chiriaco Summit, CA, not far from the former site of the Desert Training Center. It was there that Patton, as the first commander in 1942, began developing the armored tactics for Operation Torch in North Africa and later campaigns of World War II.

Recommended Book and Film Biography of Gen. Patton

Find More Information on the Internet

There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.

For good results, try entering this: patton willie terrier. Then click the Search button.