A military medal awarded to a racing pigeon for his heroic wartime exploits is coming home to Furness after it was bought on behalf of the Dock Museum in Barrow.
The Dickin Medal - considered the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross - was awarded to the pigeon Tommy VC, from Dalton, in recognition of his vital work delivering a message from the Dutch Resistance about the location of a German arms factory, which allowed the planning of a successful bombing raid.
The Dickin Medal, instituted in 1943, is very rare and has only ever been awarded to 75 animals, including 38 dogs, 32 pigeons, four horses and one cat.
Tommy’s medal was successfully acquired at auction (31 January) by the Furness Maritime Trust on behalf of the Dock Museum, which is operated by Westmorland and Furness Council, and will go on display as part of the museum’s collection.
Tommy's incredible story started in the German-occupied Netherlands, where he ended up after being blown off course during a pigeon race in 1942.
At the time, the German occupying forces had ordered all homing pigeons in the Netherlands to be killed to avoid them being used by resistance fighters to deliver messages.
Luckily, the exhausted Tommy was found and put in the care of Dutchman Dick Drijver, who was working with the underground resistance movement. Mr Drijver nursed Tommy back to health, protected him from the authorities and Tommy was later entrusted with an important mission to deliver the message about the location of the arms factory.
Tommy flew the 400 miles to Britain carrying the secret information, along the way being shot at and wounded by German soldiers, and found his way back to his owner William Brockbank in Dalton.
The coded message delivered by Tommy was used by the RAF to plan a successful bombing raid on the munitions factory.
In 1946, Tommy was recognised for his bravery and was awarded the Dickin Medal, as well as a Dutch medal for valour.
After the war Mr Brockbank regularly exhibited Tommy at shows, and charged a small fee to those wishing to see the heroic pigeon. The proceeds were used to purchase a playground for local children and the site is now the location of Dalton Leisure Centre, which bears a plaque in Tommy's honour.
Animals were first awarded the medal in 1943 after Maria Dickin, who set up the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, suggested the idea.
The most recent Dickin Medal was given to a dog called Bass in January 2023, who located five improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, which were successfully deactivated before they could explode and kill or seriously injure soldiers.
The work of pigeons like Tommy inspired the 2005 animated film Valiant, about a group of pigeons who unite to aid the D-Day landings by bringing information back to allied headquarters.
Charlotte Hawley, Westmorland and Furness Council’s Collections and Exhibitions Manager at the Dock Museum, said: “We are absolutely thrilled that Tommy’s Dickin Medal is staying in the Furness area and will be seen and enjoyed by our visitors at the Dock Museum.
“It is such an important story for the area, particularly for Dalton which is a fabulous town with a rich history.
“As soon as we were aware that it was coming up for auction, there was lots of behind the scenes activity to make sure we could try and keep it in the area.
“At the Dock Museum, we are always keen to promote and celebrate our brilliant heritage and Tommy’s story will be a fantastic addition to this.
“This purchase was made possible thanks to the public who make a donation to the museum and Furness Maritime Trust. We are truly honoured to be the new home for Tommy’s medal.’’