The Amazing Pigeons of WWII

My current work, an historical fiction WWII drama, set at the time of the Darwin bombings and moving to Lake Boga and the top secret Flying Boat base, has two main characters – one is a 13 yr old girl called Ava. The other is her young homing Pigeon called Essie, who plays a very important role in both Ava’s life and in saving the lives of many other people both here and in Papua New Guinea.

Writing her voice is so enjoyable! And I am learning a lot about these remarkable birds. They mate for life, feel emotions, navigate using scent, magnetic fields, visual cues and landmarks, and the sun & moon. They are map makers and explorers and courageous creatures, who were heroes in WWII. In 1942, more than 13,500 pigeons were donated to the Pigeon Corp by Australian pigeon owners.

I can’t wait to share Ava and Essie’s story of courage and determination under extreme circumstances, to save and protect the ones they love, while learning about the complexity of war and the importance of diversity, acceptance and understanding.

The first draft is complete and I am now working on building the story, ready to submit to my publisher. Stay tuned for more updates as I bring this story to life!

Helen