IPSWICH (UK) — In June 1944, the 662 Squadron moved into Normandy and provided invaluable support to the Allies during World War II.  Yesterday, eight men from the 662 were rescued by a little black Cocker Spaniel named "Breagh."

While on a training exercise at Corrie an Lochan (one of the Northern Corries in the Cairngorm mountains) eight airmen of the 662 Squadron of 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, Wattisham, were caught in an avalanche and swept hundreds of feet to the bottom of a corrie.  Lucky for them, they had brought along their loyal dog.  Breagh has been credited with saving a number of the soldiers by sniffing them out and reporting their whereabouts to Lieutenant Jamie Murray, 30, who was able to regroup the battered squadron while rescuers arrived and performed a daring helicopter rescue.

Said Lt. Murray: "My dog dug herself out of the snow and was running from person to person.  She gave me a good insight into where everyone else was."

Three mountain rescue units and two helicopters arrived later and went into action lifting the eight men and one dog from the mountainside.  An RAF spokesperson described the difficult maneuver, saying that pilots were wary of flying too close to where the injured soldiers were lying for fear of sending more giant slabs of snow careering down the near vertical corrie walls.