He was awarded the Dickin Medal, also known as the animals' Victoria Cross, for bringing the first report of the Normandy landings to the British mainland during the Second World War.
[3] On 6 June 1944 Gustav was on–board an Allied Landing Ship Tank (LST),[4] having become one of six pigeons given by the RAF to Reuters news correspondent Montague Taylor.
"[5] Gustav traveled the 150 miles (240 km) to his loft at RAF Thorney Island in five hours and sixteen minutes, while facing a headwind of up to 30 mph (48 km/h),[5] where his handler Sgt Harry Halsey received him.
[1] Gustav's message was the first word of the invasion to reach the British mainland, due to the fleet undergoing radio silence at the time.
[7] The citation for his Dickin Medal read, "For delivering the first message from the Normandy beaches from a ship off the beachhead while serving with the RAF on June 6 1944.