Royal Blue, also known as NURP.40.GVIS.453, was a male

pigeon Columbidae () is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. They primarily ...

of the

RAF The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

pigeon service. He was awarded the Dickin Medal for bravery in March 1945 for being the first pigeon to deliver a message from an allied forced landed aircraft from the European mainland during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. He had originally been housed at the Royal

Lofts A loft is a building's upper storey or elevated area in a room directly under the roof (American usage), or just an attic: a storage space under the roof usually accessed by a ladder (primarily British usage). A loft apartment refers to large ...

Sandringham Sandringham can refer to: Places * Sandringham, New South Wales, Australia * Sandringham, Queensland, Australia * Sandringham, Victoria, Australia **Sandringham railway line **Sandringham railway station **Electoral district of Sandringham * Sand ...

, and was owned by King

George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of I ...

Military service

Royal Blue, a blue cock, was owned by George VI of the United Kingdom through the Royal

. He was also known by the identifier NURP.40.GVIS.453. Royal Blue was one of a number of pigeons kept aboard RAF bombers and reconnaissance planes so that a downed plane's co–ordinates could be sent back to the base in Britain so that a search and rescue mission could be mounted. Royal Blue was the first such pigeon to return to its base on the 10 October 1940, having been released in the Netherlands. In around four hours and ten minutes, he flew . Royal Blue was awarded the Dickin Medal, considered to be the animal equivalent of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious award of the British honours system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British Armed Forces and may be awarded posthumously. It was previously ...

, in March 1945, after being initially reviewed by the Allied Forces Mascot Club. The citation read "For being the first pigeon in this war to deliver a message from a forced landed aircraft on the Continent while serving with the RAF in October, 1940". Along with fellow pigeon

Commando Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

, the duo were presented with their medals by Rear Admiral R.M. Bellairs on 12 April 1945. He is one of 32 pigeons to have been awarded a Dickin Medal.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Blue (Pigeon) Individual domesticated pigeons Recipients of the Dickin Medal

Military service

See also

References