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Auction: 19003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 211

Three: Corporal W. Spedding, Carrier Pigeon Service, Royal Engineers

1914-15 Star (113631. Pnr. W. Spedding, R.E.); British War and Victory Medal (113631 Cpl. W. Spedding. R.E.), nearly very fine and most unusual (3)

Wilden Spedding was born in October 1892 at Leigh, Lancashire, the son of Albert Spedding and Alice Holland. A resident of 17 Westleigh Lane, he attested at Leeds for the Royal Engineers on 14 August 1915. Arriving in France five days later, Spedding was appointed Acting Corporal within the Carrier Pigeon Service on 16 March 1917, being promoted Corporal on 16 May 1918.

The role of the Carrier Pigeon Service should not be underestimated during the Great War. They achieved a success rate of nearly 95%, particularly useful in battle when field telephones could be disrupted, or once the men had advanced - or retreated - past their prepared lines of communication. They could be launched even during heavy bombardments and use their homing ability to return to their distinctively patterned lofts, even if these had been moved. The lofts were either horse drawn or mounted on lorries or London buses behind the front line, the birds being carefully taken to the trenches in wicker baskets when required. So respected were pigeons that they were protected under the Defence of the Realm Act. Anyone interfering with a homing pigeon faced a £100 fine or six months in jail.

Having given fine service during the Great War, Spedding was admitted to the Wharncliffe War Hospital in Sheffield suffering from influenza in March 1919. He recovered and was demobilised on 22 April 1919. It was a few years later that he emigrated to New Zealand and applied for a reference to work at the General Post Office at New Plymouth in 1928; sold with copied service record and MIC.

For more information regarding the role of carrier pigeons during the Great War, please see:
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-one/10566025/Honoured-the-WW1-pigeons-who-earned-their-wings.html



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Sold for
£230

Starting price
£40