大象传媒

KENLEY LASS and PHILLIPE.

I would now like to relate another wartime story that was subject to some 'Classification'
during the wartime years as this was at a time that 'Winston Churchill' instigated the forming
of SOE [Special operations executive] in the occupied countries. This one episode concerns
the landing of one of our agents by parachute and the subsequent result of the couragous effort
by all concerned and the debt we owe to our humble Pigeon Service.
Now a Agent was required to set up the formation and continued help of the French Resistance
movement to carry out sabotage action, and keep information flowing to HQ in London regarding any secret weapons that we believed the 'Jerries'had in the process of production.
The agent chosen for the job was known as 'PHILLIPE' and was instructed to have 2 Pigeons
with him to to contact HQ as the radio signals were weak and could be picked up by the enemy
He was told by SQD Ldr Lea Rayner to cut out the toes of the socks and insert the pigeons with their heads sticking out before placing them in his rucksack to protect them during his
'PARA' drop. He was a Frenchman of origin and knew of a old friend that kept pigeons and as the loft was now empty the birds could be kept from the prying eyes of the 'Jerries'.
His insructions was that he would be picked up in10 days by a 'Lysander' aircraft after dark and
the members of the Resistance would light the area with hand held torches. This action was in OCT.1940 and because of this success many more drops and pick-ups were executed much to the dismay of the German HQ.who carried out the death penalty to anyone that was caught
helping the SOE agents .After the pick-up time was delayed by bad weather, a bird arrived at her loft in East Grinsted at 16.30hrs with a message from 'Phillipe' and was despatched to 'WING HOUSE' Piccadilly for action, the message was relayed to the 'Special Duties' squadron
of the RAF at Tangmere.The pilot decided in view of the danger to our agent he would take off
in spite of the weather not being favourable,and this was a operation of great risk and the Pilot was not even sure of the landing area. This operation and rescue was a complete success for all concerned and was the starting of many more of this type of action against the enemy.The RAF Special Duties Squadron operated mainly on moonlight nights which enabled the pilots to locate the landing areas more easily .Now the pigeon engaged in this episode was named 'Kenley Lass' and was awarded the coveted animal VC. the Dicken Medal as she was the first bird to be used in this kind of operation from one of our secret agents in occupied France.
This just one of the many stories of the part played by our Pigeons in the saving of human life
that occured during the wartime years and the vital part they played in the eventual defeat of
Hitlerite Germany and of course the Japanese.
More exploits of the humble Pigeon can be read in my book of 'Memoirs'.
Freddy Dyke.

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