A Dickin Medal that was awarded to the first pigeon to arrive with a message of the successful D-Day landings will be auctioned through Bosleys on July 3 in the UK.
 The Duke of Normandy - a true patriot |
The medal is valued at £8,000-10,000 ($12,349-15,436).
It was awarded to the Duke of Normandy, a thoroughbred racing pigeon, after he was dropped behind German lines on a mission with a group of allied paratroopers in June 1944.
Radio silence was of the utmost importance, so the task of delivering the news of the successful invasion was left up to the pigeon.
He arrived home after 26 hours of flying, facing strong winds and being shot at by German riflemen, before delivering his crucial message to his owner, who then relayed it to the government.
The Dickin Medal, instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin, is a special award for animals and has only been awarded on 64 occasions, 32 of which were for pigeons.
