The remains of a World War II carrier pigeon, found during renovations at a southern England home.<br/> <br />David Martin found the bird when he was cleaning out a Victorian fireplace he's unearthed.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID MARTIN, SAYING:<br/> <br />"As we pulled them out, bits of bird came out with it the breast bone first, then the head and the leg with an aluminium ring round it, obviously a racing pigeon, then we found a red capsule attached to it and I said 'I wonder if it's a a secret message' and it was. After we took the spool off there was a cigarette paper with coded writing on it."<br/> <br />Martin's home in Surrey is close to a hotel where Britain's General Montgomery planned the D-Day invasion of France.<br/> <br />World War II experts are now trying to decipher the message.<br/> <br />Sent by a Sergeant W. Stott, the message was meant to reach a mysterious 'X02' - a possible code name for 'Bomber Command'.<br/> <br />Homing pigeons were often used by Allied forces to send messages during World War II.<br/> <br />Flying at speeds of up to 80 kilometres per hour, pigeons can travel distances of up to 1000 kilometres.
