05/07/2025
Many of you should remember me telling you all about Just Nuisance when passing through Simons Town.
The only dog to ever officially sign up to join the Royal Navy was a Great Dane called Just Nuisance. He was enlisted in 1939 when volunteers were needed in the fight against Germany and proudly served until his tragic death in 1944 after being hit by a car. He was buried with full military honours, including a firing party over his grave and a bugler playing the Last Post.
The news of his death was transmitted to every British ship and naval base around the world.
Just Nuisance became a beloved figure among sailors during his service at the British naval base in Simon’s Town, South Africa. A large bronze statue was later erected in his honour on Jubilee Square, outside his former military home.
He was enrolled into the Royal Navy after the local railway company threatened to put him down for regularly travelling with sailors on the train to Cape Town without a ticket. Dogs were not allowed on trains for free, and although the sailors tried to hide him, it was hard to conceal a Great Dane who stood two metres tall on his hind legs. When thrown off the train, Just Nuisance would simply wait for the next one and hop on again.
He often accompanied sailors to pubs, clubs, and concerts in Cape Town and would round them up for the last train back to Simon’s Town, escorting them safely to their ships.
To protect him, the sailors appealed to their Commander-in-Chief, Charles Shakespeare, who enlisted Just Nuisance as an Ordinary Seaman on August 25, 1939. His trade was listed as “Bone Crusher” and his religious denomination as “Scrounger.” He underwent a full medical and signed his enlistment papers with a giant paw print, which entitled him to free rail travel. His official navy pass was attached to his collar, which railway inspectors could no longer contest.
His first official posting was to the shore base HMS Afrikander at Simon’s Town. His popularity among sailors led to his promotion to Able Seaman, entitling him to full rations and a bunk bed at the base. A sailor was assigned to care for him daily, and he had a bed reserved at the Union Jack Club in Cape Town in case he missed the last train.
While serving, Just Nuisance was ‘married’ to another Great Dane named Adinda, and they had a litter of puppies. Two of their offspring, Victor and Wilhelmina, were auctioned off by the Mayor of Cape Town to raise funds for the war effort.
He wasn’t without fault. His Royal Navy conduct sheet recorded various misdeeds, including sleeping in the Petty Officers’ dormitory, going AWOL, and refusing to leave pubs at closing time. He was once punished after killing the mascot dogs of HMS Shropshire and HMS Redoubt, receiving a seven day bone ban and a warning not to fight other dogs again.
Although he never officially went to sea, he was taken on anti-submarine air patrols by the Fleet Air Arm at Wingfield, even though it was against regulations.
He earned his nickname “Just Nuisance” because he would often sleep at the top of gangplanks, blocking sailors trying to board. They would grumble, “You’re just a nuisance, why do you have to lie here of all places?”
He was discharged from service on January 1, 1944, after suffering a thrombosis caused by a car accident. On April 1, 1944, his seventh birthday, he was put to sleep by the Naval Surgeon at Simon’s Town. Sailors were seen openly weeping, and the base came to a standstill in mourning.
He was buried the next day at Klaver Camp overlooking the naval base. His body was wrapped in a canvas bag and draped with a Royal Naval Ensign. A firing party of Royal Marines fired over his grave, and a lone bugler played the Last Post. A granite gravestone was placed to mark the final resting place of the only dog to officially serve in the Royal Navy.
A special section of the Simon’s Town Museum holds his official papers, collar, naval cap, and hundreds of photos with sailors. His story remains a legendary part of Royal Navy history, and his memory lives on as a symbol of loyalty and service.
