Carrier pigeons with military decorations
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Carrier Pigeons with Military Decorations — Daily trivia Friday, February 27, 2026: questions and answers
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Q 01What French military decoration was awarded to the carrier pigeon Cher Ami during World War I?
- ALegion of Honour
- BCroix de Guerre
- CMédaille Militaire
- DOrder of Merit
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Croix de Guerre
Cher Ami won the Croix de Guerre with palm for twelve important messages at Verdun, though nothing conclusively ties him to the Lost Battalion's famous plea.
Q 02Which country awarded the Dickin Medal, the 'animal Victoria Cross', to WWII pigeons?
- AFrance
- BUnited Kingdom
- CUnited States
- DAustralia
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United Kingdom
The Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 by Maria Dickin, founder of the PDSA (People's Dispensary for Sick Animals) in the United Kingdom. It is the highest award any animal can receive while serving in military conflict.
Q 03Pigeons won the most World War II Dickin Medals; which animal came second?
- AHorses
- BCats
- CDogs
- DMules
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Dogs
Dogs came second, with 18 Dickin Medals to the pigeons' 32 from 1943 to 1949, and later awards have since carried dogs past the pigeons.
Q 04Which pigeon brought the first message from the Normandy beaches on D-Day, earning a Dickin Medal?
- AWhite Vision
- BWilliam of Orange
- CGustav
- DWinkie
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Gustav
Gustav was released from a landing ship off the beachhead and flew the Channel to England with the first message from the Normandy beaches; he won the Dickin Medal in 1944.
Q 05Which injuries did Cher Ami survive on the flight credited with saving the Lost Battalion?
- ABoth wings were broken
- BIts tail feathers were shot away
- CA leg was nearly severed and shot through the breast
- DThe pigeon lost both feet to shrapnel
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A leg was nearly severed and shot through the breast
Reports say Cher Ami was shot through the breast and a leg was nearly severed, hanging by a tendon, yet flew about 25 miles in 25 minutes; the lost eye isn't borne out by photographs.
Q 06Which pigeon saved over 100 British soldiers in Italy by calling off an air strike on the village they had just taken?
- ACommando
- BMercury
- CKenley Lass
- DG.I. Joe
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G.I. Joe
G.I. Joe flew 20 miles in 20 minutes to cancel an air strike on Calvi Vecchia, which British troops had just occupied, arriving as the aircraft were preparing to take off. Over 100 men were saved.
Q 07What military branch of the United States maintained a Pigeon Service from 1917 until 1957?
- AU.S. Army Signal Corps
- BU.S. Marine Corps
- CU.S. Navy
- DU.S. Coast Guard
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U.S. Army Signal Corps
The U.S. Army Signal Corps operated the Army Pigeon Service, which bred, trained, and deployed carrier pigeons for military communications from World War I through 1957, when the program was officially deactivated.
Q 08Which pigeon made the fastest recorded D-Day flight, Normandy to England, earning the Dickin Medal?
- AMary of Exeter
- BKenley Lass
- CRoyal Blue
- DPaddy
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Paddy
Paddy, an Irish-bred pigeon, completed the fastest Channel crossing of the D-Day carrier pigeons, flying from Normandy to England in just 4 hours and 50 minutes and earning the Dickin Medal in September 1944.
Q 09Where is the taxidermied body of Cher Ami currently displayed?
- AImperial War Museum, London
- BMusée de l'Armée, Paris
- CSmithsonian National Museum of American History
- DWest Point Military Academy
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Smithsonian National Museum of American History
Cher Ami's preserved body is displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., in The Price of Freedom: Americans at War.
Q 10What was the British volunteer body that supplied civilian-bred message birds to the WWII forces called?
- ANational Pigeon Service
- BRoyal Pigeon Racing Association
- CMI14(d) Pigeon Section
- DAir Ministry Pigeon Service
Show answer
National Pigeon Service
The National Pigeon Service was formed in Britain in 1938 from civilian pigeon fanciers and their lofts. Between 1939 and 1945 British breeders handed over more than 200,000 young pigeons to the services.
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