WW2 homing pigeon Mary honoured with blue plaque

A HOMING pigeon that delivered top secret messages during the Second World War has become the first animal to be given a blue plaque to commemorate where it lived.

The prized pigeon called Mary lived in West Street in Exeter, where the plaque was placed on Saturday.

The pigeon was dropped behind enemy lines where it was repeatedly attacked by gunfire. It then delivered secret messages across the English Channel to its home.

Its time with the National Pigeon Service saw Mary awarded the Dickin Medal in 1945 – an honour bestowed on hard-working animals during wartime.

It escaped its loft in Exeter uninjured despite being bombed on three occasions. And the tenacious pigeon was attacked by German hawks stationed in Pas-de-calais but escaped – returning home with wounds to its neck and breast. It recovered and was put back in service two months later.

The pigeon returned with the tip of one wing shot off and three pellets were removed from its body on a second flight – but it recovered and returned to service.

During its final trip, its neck muscles were damaged by shrapnel. Owner Cecil “Charlie” Brewer, a pigeon breeder, made it a leather collar and took it out of service.

Exeter Civic Society unveiled the blue plaque at the Brewers’ home and shoemaker shop of 63 years and is the society’s first blue plaque to commemorate a heroic animal and its owner.

In 1922, the year of his marriage, Mr Brewer and his wife Ena set up a workshop to breed and train homing pigeons.

He was made a special constable in 1941 with responsibility for general control of war pigeons in the area and decorated in 1945 for war services.

Mary died in 1950 and is buried with other animal heroes in the PDSA Pet Cemetery in Ilford, Essex.

It is commemorated in Northernhay Gardens, Exeter, as well as in the mosaic under the Exeter St Thomas railway bridge and on the animals war memorial in Hyde Park. Mr Brewer died in 1985, aged 90.

To be awarded a blue plaque, the proposed recipient must usually have died at least 20 years ago. This is to help ensure that the decision about whether or not to shortlist a candidate is made with a sufficient degree of hindsight.