One of the more unusual medals awarded during World War II — given to a carrier pigeon parachuted into occupied France alongside British agents — is to be sold, auctioneers said on Friday.
Commando the pigeon was awarded the Dickin Medal, of which only 60 have ever been handed out, after braving German bullets to bring back secret information strapped to his leg on three separate missions.
Commando’s Dickin Medal, handed to the red-chequer cock bird in 1945 in recognition of his wartime service, is expected to fetch up to £10 000 (R111 783 ) next week, London-based auctioneers Spink said.
The pigeon was made available to the military by his owner, Sid Moon, who had served with the Army Pigeon Service during World War I, at the outbreak of the next war in 1939.
Commando travelled to France with forces from the secretive Special Operations Executive from 1942, and brought back intelligence about the whereabouts of German troops, industrial sites and injured British soldiers.
Despite a mere one-in-eight chance of survival thanks to a combination of German marksmen’s bullets and exhaustion, Commando survived his three missions.
The Dickin Medal was named after Maria Dickin, who founded the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals.
The last one to be auctioned was won by Simon, a cat who saw action in 1949 on British ship HMS Amethyst when it was stopped and bombarded by Chinese communist troops.
The only Dickin Medal awarded to a cat, it sold for £23,000 (R257 100 ). – Sapa-AFP