WW2 pigeons remembered as racing season opens
The role of pigeons during World War Two has been remembered as owners gathered for the start of a pigeon club's racing season.The birds carried vital messages about troop positions and early news of the D-Day landings. The British International Championship Club (BICC) - a pigeon racing organisation - held a commemorative party at Sarisbury Green in Hampshire, as fanciers met to prepare for the first official race on Saturday.President Jill Rogers said: "Pigeons were a very important part and they got medals for their saving of lives."
She added: "People gave their racing pigeons up to be part of the war effort."A quarter of a million birds were used. There wasn't the same technology and also they could do it securely without it being got at by enemy forces."Thirty-two pigeons during World War Two received Dickin Medals for animal gallantry.One recipient - RAF bird Winkie - was released by the crew of a plane that came under fire and ditched in North Sea. Winkie made it home covered in oil and led to the crew's rescue.Pigeons also carried D-Day despatches home from Allied forces and journalists in Normandy.
Heroic World War Two pigeons
Winkie was the first pigeon to be responsible for the rescue of airmen during World War Two when she flew 120 miles in February 19443 to alert rescue services that a Beaufighter had crashed in the North SeaUS Army pigeon G.I. Joe carried news of the liberation of an Italian village in 1943 just in time to save at least 100 Allied soldiers from being bombed by their own planesRAF pigeon Gustave brought back the first despatch from the Reuters news agency on D-Day - 6 June 1944The pigeon Duke of Normandy brought back the first message on D-Day from British airborne forcesOn 12 June 1944, the pigeon Paddy carried coded information on the Allied advance from Normandy to Hampshire, setting a record homing time of four hours and 50 minutes(Sources: IWM, Larne & District Historical Society, PDSA)
Bill Edwards from BICC said modern-day fanciers are proud of the role of pigeons during the war.He said: "There was the National Pigeon Service that mobilised lofts around the front line."All the aircraft... took two pigeons with them in case the aircraft were shot down."A previous commemorative race, organised by another club in Normandy on 3 May, was won by a pigeon called VE Day Surprise from Wales.
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