Dickin Medal winning carrier pigeon, Mary of Exeter, is the subject of a new beautifully illustrated children’s book – “Mary, The Pigeon Who Never Gave Up”. Written by Katie Villa & Simon Hall, the book is illustrated by Rosie Race and the People of Exeter. ‘Mary is a pigeon. A very fast, rather cheeky pigeon […]
RPRA President Les Blacklock and his wife Meryl attended the annual remembrance gathering at the National Animals in War Memorial, Brook Gate, Park Lane, London, when 27 animal charities and organisations were present. Following a one minute’s silence, Cath Bourg from the Pet Plan Charitable Trust announced that this year marked the 80th anniversary of […]
RPRA President, Les Blacklock, and his wife Meryl attended the Animals in War memorial service which took place at the Memorial on Park Lane, London, on the 10th November. The service was well attended, with most animal charities represented. Pigeons were mentioned first in the eulogy, and several speakers also gave moving accounts of their […]
In August 1914 the British government requisitioned over 1000 red double decker London buses and sent them to France to act as troop transports, ambulances and mobile lofts for carrier pigeons on the Western Front. Many of them drove around the French battlefields for a time in their red livery, with London locations such as […]
Paula Yare has written a new children’s book entitled ‘Pip the Pigeon: Secret Mission’, about the hair-raising adventures of a heroic pigeon who joins the British Army in World War I. The book costs £4.99 plus p&p, and proceeds are being donated to Cancer Research UK. To order a copy, e-mail [email protected], with your name, address […]
Jennifer Spangler has produced a very interesting blog on World War 2 Military Intelligence and in particular the use of carrier pigeons for the return of messages from agents in occupied Europe. The blog features scans of many documents – most highly secret at the time – which tell the story of the contribution that carrier […]
Graham Fellows, in the guise of celebrity comedian John Shuttleworth, and antiques expert Paul Laidlaw visited the RPRA One Loft at Tewkesbury to film a piece for an episode of the BBC series Celebrity Antiques Road Trip. In addition to filming various items of historic pigeons in war memorabilia, John also gave a live performance […]
TV director, Evy Barry, is currently making a film about carrier pigeons during World War 1. She has already visited RPRA HQ to interview General Manager, Stewart Wardrop, and to see the artefacts which we hold here, but she is also looking for support from our members. Evy says: “I am writing to the pigeon […]
RPRA General Manager, Stewart Wardrop, and Pigeons in War Volunteer Curator for the RPRA at Bletchley Park, Colin Hill, travelled to Stowe House in Buckingham for a recording of the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow. They took along with them for valuation Dickin Medals won by wartime carrier pigeons, and were interviewed by the programme’s militaria expert, […]
While ripping out an old fireplace at a derelict house in Surrey, David and Ann Martin found what they thought to be a discarded chicken bone, but which on closer inspection turned out to be the remains of a pigeon. Attached to the bird’s foot was a small red cylinder, and inside they found a coded message that […]
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