Able Seaman Just Nuisance

Able Seaman Just Nuisance

Just Nuisance was a Great Dane dog, the only dog which officially enlisted in the Royal Navy in South Africa During World War Two between 1939 and 1944, he served with HMS Afrikander, a Royal Navy naval base in Simon’s Town, home to South African Naval Base. In 1939, he was brought as a pup to Simon’s Town by his owner, Benjamin Chaney, who ran the United Service Institute which was a favorite hangout for sailors from the Royal Navy.

A very friendly dog, he soon became a familiar figure around the town, taken for walkies and treated to pies, biscuits, and even beer by the sailors, to whom he became a kind of mascot. Naturally, the dog in turn became very fond of sailors – all sailors – and followed them everywhere, to the naval base, the dockyards, and even on to the ships. Not a small dog – he was large even for a Great Dane – when he took to lounging about at the top of the gangplank, he blocked the way and that is how he got his name, ‘Nuisance’. He had a conduct sheet and he was disciplined when he committed an offense like a normal soldier.

He was married to another Great Dane in Hout Bay and when he had puppies, school children in Hout Bay took a break holiday to go visit the puppies. He was buried at a full military gun salute and a monument was erected in Simon's Town which has become a tourist stop attraction