D-Day περιστέρι παραδίδει 70 χρόνων μήνυμα

3-11-12  Βρετανία, περιοχή Bletchingley, Surrey.   

O David Martin  βρήκε το απομεινάρι ενός  ταχυδρομικού  περιστεριού, στην  καμινάδα του σπιτιού του, ενώ έκανε εργασίες ανακαίνισης.  

 

Πρόκειται για στρατιωτικό  περιστέρι που είχε αποσταλεί από την κατεχόμενη -από τους Ναζί-  Γαλλία,  στις 6-6-1944 για τις D-Day επιδρομές.

 

Το περιστέρι έφερε δαχτυλίδι με την κόκκινη κάψουλα -των συμμαχικών δυνάμεων- όπου φυλάσσονταν κωδικοποιημένο μήνυμα.  Γνωρίζουμε μόνο ότι το περιστέρι γεννήθηκε το 1940.

Τις D-Day ημέρες υπήρχε μπλακάουτ στις επικοινωνίες –για να μην  υποκλαπούν τα μηνύματα των συμμάχων από τους Γερμανούς-και οι ειδήσεις για την εξέλιξη της εισβολής απεστάλησαν πέρα από τη Μάγχη με ταχυδρομικά περιστέρια.

Η Government Communications Headquarter (GCHQ) στο Cheltenham, Glos, προσπαθεί να αποκρυπτογραφήσει το μήνυμα που έχει μορφή enigma message.

Το στρατιωτικό περιστέρι που εξαντλημένο σφηνώθηκε και πέθανε στην καμινάδα θα παραδώσει 70 χρόνια μετά,  το μυστικό μήνυμα που κρατούσε.

Bones of missing WWII spy pigeon found in chimney with uncracked D-Day code

 Quest to crack secrets of lost D-Day pigeon

It was part of a very special air service crucial to the D-Day landings.
The Royal Pigeon Racing Association believe the bird probably either got lost, disorientated in bad weather, or was simply exhausted after its trip across the Channel.
Its remains were discovered by David Martin when he ripped out a fireplace and found it in the chimney while renovating his home in Bletchingley, Surrey.
Historians believe the bird was almost certainly dispatched from Nazi-occupied France on June 6, 1944 - During the D-Day invasions.
Due to Winston Churchill's radio blackout, homing pigeons were taken on the D-Day invasion and released by Allied Forces to inform military Generals back on English soil how the operation was going.
It is thought that the bird was destined for the top secret Bletchley Park, which was just 80 miles from Mr Martin's home.

During the war, Codebreakers worked there round the clock in top secret - deciphering Nazi codes including Enigma.
It was also home to a classified MI6 pigeon loft, manned by trainer Charles Skevington.
Colin Hill, a volunteer for the Royal Pigeon Racing Association said: "The message Mr Martin found must be highly top secret.
"The aluminium ring found on the bird's leg tells us it was born in 1940 and we know it's an Allied Forces pigeon because of the red capsule it was carrying - but that's all we know.
"We suspect it was flying back to Monty's HQ or Bletchley Park from Nazi occupied Normandy during the invasion.
"This is a very special message because most were not written in code. This is written like an enigma message so must have been very secret and very important."

The crack team of birds were a secret wing of the National Pigeon Service - which had a squadron of 250,000 birds during the Second World War.
They can reach speeds of 80mph, cover distances of more than 1,000 miles and are thought to use the Earth's magnetic fields to navigate.
πηγή

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/defence/9649173/Quest-to-crack-secrets-of-lost-D-Day-pigeon.html#