London - On June 6, 1944, he set off from Normandy, braving enemy fire, pouring rain and gusting winds as he struggled across the Channel.
Twenty-six hours and 50 minutes later, homing pigeon The Duke of Normandy arrived back at his loft – with a very important message.
He was the first pigeon to return with news of the successful D-Day landings, and in recognition of his efforts he was awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal version of the Victoria Cross.
Sixty-nine years later, The Duke’s story has been revived after his medal, missing for decades, turned up in a box of old badges.
A collector bought the box 25 years ago, but had no idea what the medal was until several of them were featured on an episode of the BBC’S Antiques Roadshow last month.
The Duke was placed in a basket and strapped to one of the Allied paratroopers who was dropped behind enemy lines hours before the invasion.
The men’s role was to capture bridges then link up with the main invasion force. The covert operation required radio silence, so the birds provided a crucial line of communication. They flew back to their owners, who rang the War Office with the coded messages.
The unnamed collector, from Kidderminster, has put The Duke’s medal up for auction. It will be sold on July 3, with a pre-sale estimate of £10 000 (about R130 000). - Daily Mail