Beer Belly Loyal
Well-Known Member
Edit: Apologies admin, meant to put this in the lounge, please move, sorry.
MI14 or British Military Intelligence, Section 14 was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence. It was an intelligence agency of the War Office, which specialised in intelligence about Germany. Originally part of MI3, during the Second World War the German sub-department's expertise and analysis became so important to the war effort that it was spun off into its own Military Intelligence section.
One of MI14's most valuable sources, codenamed COLUMBA, consisted of reports returned by pigeons dropped over Nazi-occupied countries in packs containing a miniature spying kit.
William of Orange was a male war pigeon of British military intelligence service MI14. He was awarded the 21st Dickin Medal.
The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue.
It is awarded to animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units".
The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross".
He was awarded the medal for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation.
This message saved more than 2000 soldiers at the time of the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. Its official name in military record is NPS.42.NS.15125.
He received the Dickin Medal in May 1945.
Communications in that battle were a problem for the Allied units; German troops had surrounded the airborne forces and the few radio sets present malfunctioned.
William of Orange was released by British soldiers at 10:30 on 19 September 1944 and arrived at his nest box in England at 14:55.
He flew over 250 miles and the message he carried was one of few to make their way back to the United Kingdom.
William of Orange was bred by Sir William Proctor Smith of Cheshire and trained by the Army Pigeon Service of the Royal Signals.
Smith bought him out of service for £185 and ten years later reported that William was "the grandfather of many outstanding racing pigeons".
MI14 or British Military Intelligence, Section 14 was a department of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence. It was an intelligence agency of the War Office, which specialised in intelligence about Germany. Originally part of MI3, during the Second World War the German sub-department's expertise and analysis became so important to the war effort that it was spun off into its own Military Intelligence section.
One of MI14's most valuable sources, codenamed COLUMBA, consisted of reports returned by pigeons dropped over Nazi-occupied countries in packs containing a miniature spying kit.
William of Orange was a male war pigeon of British military intelligence service MI14. He was awarded the 21st Dickin Medal.
The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in war. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried on a ribbon of striped green, dark brown and pale blue.
It is awarded to animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units".
The award is commonly referred to as "the animals' Victoria Cross".
He was awarded the medal for delivering a message from the Arnhem Airborne Operation.
This message saved more than 2000 soldiers at the time of the Battle of Arnhem in September 1944. Its official name in military record is NPS.42.NS.15125.
He received the Dickin Medal in May 1945.
Communications in that battle were a problem for the Allied units; German troops had surrounded the airborne forces and the few radio sets present malfunctioned.
William of Orange was released by British soldiers at 10:30 on 19 September 1944 and arrived at his nest box in England at 14:55.
He flew over 250 miles and the message he carried was one of few to make their way back to the United Kingdom.
William of Orange was bred by Sir William Proctor Smith of Cheshire and trained by the Army Pigeon Service of the Royal Signals.
Smith bought him out of service for £185 and ten years later reported that William was "the grandfather of many outstanding racing pigeons".
