On Tuesday 6 June 1944, Gustav the grizzle coloured war pigeon was released on Sword Beach in Normandy to deliver the first news of D-Day back to UK. On Thursday 6 June 2019, the Royal Pigeon Racing Association, joined by NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), re-enacted this scene with a Royal Signaller and the liberation of a racing pigeon from the same location, 75 years on.
Carrier pigeons played a vital part in both world wars acting as military messengers with their homing ability and speed. Over 100,000 pigeons were used in the war with a success rate of 95% in delivering their messages. For his act, Gustav was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery, considered to be the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross.
The citation for his Dickin Medal read - "For delivering the first message from the Normandy beaches from a ship off the beachhead while serving with the RAF on June 6 1944." He was one of thirty two pigeons awarded the medal who carried messages during the Second World War.
In 1944, the forebears of the NATO troops, the British 1st Corps, commanded the allied troops on Sword and Juno beach. The invasion fleet was under radio silence to avoid enemy detection which led to the release of Gustav who flew 150 miles across the Channel to RAF Thorney Island near Chichester, West Sussex. Within five hours and 16 minutes, the first message was received back to the UK that the Normandy landings had commenced.
Precisely 75 years on, a young Royal Signaller, Harry Swann, re-enacted the role he might have conducted by releasing a message by pigeon back to the UK with the news that the first troops were ashore.
Richard Chambers, Development Officer at the RPRA has been in Normandy for the commemorations: “It has been incredible to recreate the iconic scene on Sword Beach 75 years on. Working with NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps we have been able to further commemorate and highlight the crucial role racing pigeons played in wartime. Our pigeon will be flying 145 miles back to its home in Portsmouth which it will complete in around three and a half hours.”
Harry Swann, Royal Signaller for NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps comments “As part of my re-enactment I began sailing across to Normandy on Monday 3 June. It has been an incredible experience to play a role in this commemoration and to be joined by the Royal Pigeon Racing Association in Normandy 75 years on.”
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Notes to Editors:
< http://www.rpra.org
< The Royal Pigeon Racing Association (RPRA) is a governing body which was founded in 1896 for pigeon racing in the United Kingdom.
< Queen Elizabeth II is the president of the RPRA and is also an enthusiastic pigeon fancier herself.
< There are approximately 42,000 pigeon fanciers in the UK.
< The current membership stands at 22,000 spread across 1520 affiliated clubs.
< The RPRA employs over 30 people.
< The annual British Homing World Show held by the RPRA in Blackpool generates £10 million for the local economy and has contributed nearly £3 million for various charities.
< The commercial impact of pigeon racing is significant to the UK and EIRE economies and is estimated to contribute over £105 million per annum.
< The RPRA performs charity work and raises approximately £100,000 for charitable causes each year.
< The Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC) is a UK-led NATO unit, able to command up to 120,000 multinational forces. It was formed in 1992 from the former British 'I Corps' which commanded the Allied landings at Sword and Juno beaches in 1944. Today the ARRC is based in Gloucester and includes troops from 23 different nations. For more information visit www.arrc.nato.int
< Video rushes should be credited to 'Allied Rapid Reaction Corps'. They include footage of Signaller Harry Swann, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps, and Richard Chambers, Royal Pigeon Racing Association.
< For further information contact: Major Laurence Roche, Press Officer the Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (+44 7740 863476 roche.arrc.pao@gmail.com)
