Feathered war hero honoured

Paddy the pigeon from Northern Ireland flew vital information from France after the D-Day landings in June 1944. The pigeon was awarded the Dickin Medal for the perilous flight back to Hampshire where he secret information about the Allies' disposition six days into the invasion that gave them a vital foothold in Nazi-occupied Europe. The bird will be commemorated with a re-enactment of his dangerous and historic flight later this month. Fanciers from the UK and Northern Ireland will be asked to release their birds, on a date still to be arranged, in France for a pigeon race that will in effect be a repeat of 'Paddy's' trip back to his loft in Hampshire in the record time of 4 hours 50 minutes, 66 years ago. Paddy came from the Moyleen loft of the late Carnlough fancier Andrew Hughes, who handed him over to the National Pigeon Service in which he was trained for his military career. Paddy went on to serve with RAF in Ballykelly on Air-Sea rescue missions before he was transferred to the American Army who had just arrived in Northern Ireland to prepare for D-Day.

Paddy was with the Americans in Normandy the summer night of June 12 1944, when he was released and set off on the famous flight.

Research is ongoing in an attempt to pinpoint the exact spot on the Normandy beaches where Paddy commenced his mission.

It is thought the pigeon flew from a place called Carentan in Normandy, but the exact route he took home will never be known. A plaque has been put up at Carnlough harbour in honour of the only Irish pigeon to receive a Dickin medal.