Mary of Exeter
Encyclopedia
Mary of Exeter was a carrier pigeon
who served with the National Pigeon Service
during World War II
. She was awarded the Dickin Medal
in November 1945 for showing endurance on war service despite injury. She was owned by Charlie Brewer, a cobbler from Exeter
. She served with the National Pigeon Service between 1940 and 1945 carrying top secret messages. Mary made four trips from France to England. She was wounded on three occasions, requiring a total of 22 stitches. On one occasion she was attacked by German kept hawk
s stationed in Pas-de-Calais returning home with wounds to her neck and right breast. Her next trip took place two months later. This time she returned with part of one wing shot off. Three pellets were removed from her body. In 1942 her pigeon loft was bombed during Luftwaffe raids on Exeter, killing many of the pigeons housed there. Mary, however, survived. During her final trip her neck muscles were damaged by shrapnel. To enable her to hold her head up, her owner made her a leather collar. She died in 1950 and is buried in Ilford Animal Cemetery
.
Carrier pigeon
A carrier pigeon is a homing pigeon that is used to carry messages. Using pigeons to carry messages is generally called "pigeon post". Most homing or racing type varieties are used to carry messages. There is no specific breed actually called "carrier pigeon"...
who served with the National Pigeon Service
National Pigeon Service
The National Pigeon Service was a volunteer civilian organisation formed in Britain in 1938 as result of representations made to the Committee of Imperial Defence and the British Government by Major W.H.Osman....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She was awarded the Dickin Medal
Dickin Medal
The 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...
in November 1945 for showing endurance on war service despite injury. She was owned by Charlie Brewer, a cobbler from Exeter
Exeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
. She served with the National Pigeon Service between 1940 and 1945 carrying top secret messages. Mary made four trips from France to England. She was wounded on three occasions, requiring a total of 22 stitches. On one occasion she was attacked by German kept hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s stationed in Pas-de-Calais returning home with wounds to her neck and right breast. Her next trip took place two months later. This time she returned with part of one wing shot off. Three pellets were removed from her body. In 1942 her pigeon loft was bombed during Luftwaffe raids on Exeter, killing many of the pigeons housed there. Mary, however, survived. During her final trip her neck muscles were damaged by shrapnel. To enable her to hold her head up, her owner made her a leather collar. She died in 1950 and is buried in Ilford Animal Cemetery
Ilford Animal Cemetery
Ilford Animal Cemetery is an animal cemetery in Ilford, London, England, containing over three thousand burials. It was founded in the 1920s and is operated by the PDSA. The cemetery was closed to new burials in the 1960s and gradually became neglected and overgrown. In the early twenty first...
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