A peculiar occurrence has been brought to the attention of the employees of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra since the beginning of October. One by one, the poppies placed on an unnamed soldier’s grave have been vanishing for some time now. It took them some time to identify the perpetrator, who turned out to be a pigeon, but they were successful once they did. The bird has been gathering flowers from the gravesite to construct a beautiful and vibrant nest close to a stained glass window at the memorial for the war dead. The lovely nest served as a prelude to the commemorations of Remembrance Day, which are conducted on November 11 each year.
A staff member at the Australian War Memorial recently came upon a pigeon that had built a nest out of poppies that had been stolen from the grave of an unidentified soldier.
According to the war monument, the stained glass window that was inadvertently chosen by the bird honors the wounded soldier, which represents the quality of “endurance,” and the nest of poppies that was located adjacent was a “reminder of the deep relationship between man and beast on the battlefield.”
Pigeons may have a reputation for being particularly disagreeable birds in modern times, yet throughout history, they have served as valuable allies in combat situations.
“Communication was challenging, particularly in the early stages of the war. During the First World War, wireless technology is in its infancy, and on the Western Front, shellfire frequently rips telephone wires to shreds. Pigeons are particularly useful in warfare when a couple of men are trying to get a message from where they are back to the backline. “A pigeon can get that through-sometimes when nothing else can,” historian Dr. Meleah Hampton said. Pigeons are particularly useful in warfare when a couple of men are trying to get a message from where they are back to the backline.
During World War II, a total of 32 pigeons were honored with the PDSA Dickin Medal, which is given to any animal that exemplifies outstanding courage and commitment to its duties.
One of the most notable examples of a pigeon serving in a military capacity is that of “White Vision,” a pigeon that was awarded a medal for “delivering a message under exceptionally-difficult conditions and so contributing to the rescue of an aircrew while serving with the RAF in October 1943.” This accomplishment earned “White Vision” the medal.
Here’s how people reacted
