{{For multi|the Marvel Comics character|Vision (Marvel Comics)#White Vision|the Marvel Cinematic Universe character|White Vision (Marvel Cinematic Universe)}} {{short description|World War II homing pigeon}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}} {{Use Scottish English|date=March 2017}}
'''White Vision''', also known by her service number '''SURP.41.L.3089''', was a female Second World War homing pigeon who served with the National Pigeon Service and was posted to No. 190 Squadron RAF. She was awarded the Dickin Medal for gallantry in 1943 for delivering a message from a flying boat forced to ditch off the coast of Scotland.
==Military service== White Vision was bred by the Fleming brothers of Motherwell, Lanarkshire, Scotland. During the Second World War she was lent to the National Pigeon Service,<ref name=bonfiredailyrecord/> and was stationed at Sullom Voe in the Shetland Islands with No. 190 Squadron RAF.<ref name=scotsatwar>{{cite web|title=The Dickin Medal - The Animal's VC|url=http://www.scotsatwar.org.uk/printerv/dickinmedal.htm|publisher=The Scots at War Trust|access-date=21 April 2012}}</ref>
On 11 October 1943,<ref name=bonfiredailyrecord>{{cite news|last=O'Grady|first=Richard|title=Don't let bonfire night be a fright|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Don't+let+bonfire+night+be+a+fright.-a060363294|access-date=21 April 2012|newspaper=Daily Record|date=21 October 1999}}</ref> White Vision was aboard a Consolidated PBY Catalina flying boat when it was forced to ditch in the North Sea near the Hebrides off the coast of Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pigeons in War|url=http://www.rpra.org/AboutUs/PigeonsInWar/tabid/94/Default.aspx|publisher=The Royal Racing Pigeon Association|access-date=21 April 2012|archive-date=14 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214140756/http://www.rpra.org/AboutUs/PigeonsInWar/tabid/94/Default.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> With the plane's radio out of action,<ref name=entertainment>{{cite news|title=Entertainment for a Pigeon|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=o6AQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LJMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3613,1544085&dq=white-vision+dickin&hl=en|access-date=21 April 2012|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=9 July 1950}}</ref> she was released to indicate where the plane had gone down, as bad weather conditions were preventing it from being found by other planes. She flew some {{convert|60|mi|km}} against a strong headwind, arriving back at her pigeon loft. The search was resumed and the plane was subsequently found,<ref name=cooofduty>{{cite news|title=Pet SOS: Bravery beyond the coo of duty|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-117743506|access-date=21 April 2012|newspaper=Coventry Evening Telegraph|date=5 June 2004}}</ref> with all eleven members of the air crew saved after they had spent some eighteen hours in the sea.<ref name=scotsatwar/><ref name=royalsealskynews>{{cite news|title=Royal Seal Of Approval|url=http://news.sky.com/home/article/13253842|access-date=21 April 2012|newspaper=Sky News|date=24 November 2004}}</ref>
She was awarded the Dickin Medal on 2 December 1943; her medal citation reads "For delivering a message under exceptionally difficult conditions and so contributing to the rescue of an Air Crew while serving with the RAF in October 1943."<ref name=pdsa>{{cite web|title=Dickin medal pigeons |url=http://www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards/dickin-medal-pigeons |publisher=PDSA |access-date=21 April 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213211708/http://www.pdsa.org.uk/about-us/animal-bravery-awards/dickin-medal-pigeons |archive-date=13 February 2010 }}</ref> The medal is referred to as the animal's Victoria Cross,<ref name=recognition>{{cite news|last=Houghton-Brown|first=John|title=Heroic animals finally gain the recognition they deserve|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-30420140.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130125071332/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-30420140.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=25 January 2013|access-date=21 April 2012|newspaper=The Independent on Sunday|date=1 January 2012|url-access=subscription }}</ref> and White Vision was one of the first pigeons to be awarded it.<ref name=pdsa/>
==See also== * List of individual birds
==References== {{reflist|2}}
{{Dickin Medal}} {{War pigeons}}
Category:Individual domesticated pigeons Category:Recipients of the Dickin Medal Category:Military animals of World War II Category:Royal Air Force personnel of World War II Category:Individual animals in Scotland Category:Scotland in World War II Category:Motherwell Category:History of Shetland Category:1943 in Scotland