January 21, 1945 - 'Higgins' the Squadron Alsatian

From the Operations Record Book:  

21 aircraft and crews, plus one aircraft and crew in reserve, ordered to stand by for operations. Briefing fixed for 18.15 hours. The intended operation was cancelled at approx. 18.30 hours and the Squadron ordered to stand by for operations on the morrow, briefing being fixed for 08.45 hours for 27 air crews. The weather was good but seasonably cold with approximately three inches of snow. A reasonably good flying training programme was carried out during daylight and the crews who had taken off for night cross country exercises were recalled as the weather was expected to close in.

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The above photo was taken at 550 Squadron sometime in 1944 prior to the Harris Crew arriving at North Killingholme air base.  The large Alsatian front and center was named Higgins and he appears in a number of 550 Squadron photographs from 1944/1945.

Higgins would be known more commonly in North America as a German Shepherd.  Due to the anti-German sentiment after World War I, the breed was officially renamed by the UK Kennel Club to "Alsatian Wolf Dog."

In 1977, dog enthusiasts successfully pressured the UK Kennel Club to allow the breed to once again be registered as German Shepherd Dogs, though the name Alsatian is still commonly used in the UK.