The first UK Dickin Medal was awarded to honour the work of which animals in World War II?

The People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown, and pale blue.

It is awarded to animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units". The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross" (although the Victoria Cross Trust has opposed this association).

The first recipients of the award, in December 1943, were three pigeons, serving with the Royal Air Force, all of whom contributed to the recovery of air crew from ditched aircraft during the Second World War. The most recent animal to be cited for the honour is Mali, a dog who served with the British Armed Forces in Afghanistan in 2012.

As of November 2017, the Dickin Medal has been awarded 69 times, plus one honorary award made in 2014 to all the animals that served in the First World War.