Summer 2013
Page 8
Medal given to homing pigeon who was first to deliver news of successful landings sold at auction
A lost bravery medal awarded to a homing pigeon that was the first to bring news of the D-Day landings back to Britain has been discovered after 69 years. The Dickin Medal - the animal version of the Victoria Cross - was won by a bird called the Duke of Normandy that was dropped behind enemy lines with Allied paratroopers hours before the invasion. The men were to capture bridges at the eastern end of the Normandy bridgehead and head towards the beaches to link up with the main invasion force. Cooped up in a small cage, the grand cock breed ?\? ?[X\?Y?HH \?] ???\?]
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