In an extraordinary tribute to wartime bravery, two Victorian-bred carrier pigeons have been immortalized in bronze at Melbourne’s new Anzac Station. These feathered heroes – DD.43.T.139 and DD.43.Q.879 – were awarded the Dickin Medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, for their lifesaving actions during World War II.
The pigeons’ remarkable stories are now permanently displayed near the Shrine of Remembrance Reserve.
In 1945, DD.43.T.139 battled a tropical storm in New Guinea to deliver a critical distress message from a stranded army boat, leading to the rescue of its crew and vital cargo.
Meanwhile, DD.43.Q.879 survived enemy gunfire in 1944 to warn Allied forces of an impending Japanese counterattack on Manus Island after two other messenger pigeons were shot down.
Artist Fiona Hall, who created the striking bronze sculptures, hopes visitors will “look up at the pigeons, read their stories, and be amazed by their heroic acts.”
The installation also features etched glass panels depicting symbolic wartime flora like Lone Pine, Flanders Poppies, and Rosemary – plants that grew where Australians fought in Gallipoli and the Western Front.
As Melbourne prepares to open its Metro Tunnel later this year, these unlikely war heroes will welcome visitors traveling to the Shrine of Remembrance by train for the first time. Their bronze memorial serves as a poignant reminder that courage comes in many forms – even with wings.
