I had half an hour to waste in Dundee one day, and wandered into the McManus gallery. There, in a glass case, I found a stuffed pigeon and a medal. It turns out the pigeon's name is Winkie, and the medal is the Dickin Medal, which she won for her role in saving a stranded air crew during World War Two. This song tells her story.
Lyrics and Chords:
[F][C][Dm]
[Bb][C][C7][C6]
[F]1942, [C]Europe was at [F]war
[Bb]Soldiers and airmen [F]fighting for the [C]cause
They [F]set off for Norway from an [C]airfield in [Dm]Fife
[Bb]In the name of freedom pre[C]pared to give their life[C7][C6]
The [F]mission was accomplished, but [C]as they turned a[F]round
[Bb]Enemy fire took their [F]Bristol Bomber [C]down
[F]Drifting in the sea, couldn't [C]broadcast their po[Dm]sition
Their [Bb]one remaining hope was their [C]carrier pigeon[C7][C6]
So [Dm]fly home, Winkie, [C]fly back to Dun[F]dee
We've got [Bb]two wings and a prayer so it's [Dm]time to set you [C]free
[F]Fly a hundred miles across the [C]freezing Northern [Dm]Seas
[Bb]Fly home, [Bbm]Winkie, [F]fly!
[Bb][C][C7][C6]
[F]Back on dry land, ex[C]hausted and [F]drained
[Bb]Winkie met the RAF and [F]started to ex[C]plain
[F]How to find the wreckage and en[C]treated them to [Dm]save
A [Bb]team of wartime heroes from a [C]watery grave[C7][C6]
[F]How long was she flying? [C]How fast was the [F]wind?
[Bb]Calculate her speed from the [F]oil on her [C]wings
[F]Knowing when the plane ditched, as[C]sembling the [Dm]clues,
[Bb]Maybe that would be enough to [C]find the stricken crew.[C7][C6]
So [Dm]fly home, Winkie, [C]fly back to Dun[F]dee
We've got [Bb]two wings and a prayer so it's [Dm]time to set you [C]free
[F]Fly a hundred miles across the [C]freezing Northern [Dm]Seas
[Bb]Fly home, [Bbm]Winkie, [F]fly!
[F][C][F]
[Bb][F][C]
[F][C][Dm]
[Bb][C][C7][C6]
In [F]only fifteen minutes, their [C]whereabouts was [F]known
[Bb]Thanks to Winkie's bravery the [F]airmen made it [C]home
Re[F]warded for her courage, like [C]all the bravest [Dm]birds
She [Bb]wore the Dickin medal, for [C]animals who serve[C7][C6]
So [Dm]fly home, Winkie, [C]fly back to Dun[F]dee
We've got [Bb]two wings and a prayer so it's [Dm]time to set you [C]free
[F]Fly a hundred miles across the [C]freezing Northern [Dm]Seas
[Bb]Fly home, [Bbm]Winkie, [F]fly!