Willie (dog)

William the Conqueror (1942 – 1955), also known as Willie, was General George Patton's dog.

Adoption and World War II
The dog was originally named Punch and he was the pet of an RAF pilot who sometimes took the dog on bombing missions. When the pilot didn't return from a mission, his wife sold the dog. Patton's staff purchased the dog on March 4, 1944, in England. Patton named him Willie after a boy that he met during the Great Depression and not because of William the Conqueror as it is commonly believed.

During the Second World War, Patton was always accompanied by his loyal dog during his campaigns in Luxembourg, France and Belgium. This friendship was captured in various photos, with Willie always walking beside the General.

Patton's accident and Willie's death
On December 9, 1945, a limousine transporting Patton and his former chief of staff Hobart Gay to a hunting trip crashed into an American army truck near Speyer. Patton died on December 21 of injuries he sustained, leaving Willie's future uncertain.

Willie was sent to live with Patton's family as the beloved dog of a fallen warrior. He died in 1955, outliving both Patton and his wife. He is buried in an unmarked grave by a stone wall on Patton's property, which is still owned by the Patton family.

In 1970, Willie was portrayed in several scenes in Patton's biographical movie, Patton.

A 12 ft high bronze statue of Patton and Willie stands today at the General Patton Memorial Museum thirty miles east of Indio, California.