A bravery medal awarded to a pigeon during the Second World War is expected to fetch a record £10,000 at auction.

The rare gong was awarded to a red chequer called Commando who was trained by fancier Sid Moon in Haywards Heath.

The flying ace was a hero of the skies, coolly dodging German marksmen's bullets.

Commando was dropped from a bomber in a basket and would fly vital messages from the French Resistance to England.

After completing three daring runs - in which only one out of eight birds would survive - he was awarded a Dickin Medal.

The medal - the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross - will go under the hammer in November.

It will be sold by the medal auctioneers Spink of Southampton Row in Bloomsbury, London.

Auctioneer Richard Bishop said: "Medals like this do not come up often. We did sell one 20 years ago.

"Lots of people will be interested in the sale. They could be medal collectors or pigeon fanciers.

"Perhaps the pilot who flew the bomber which dropped the bird or a member of the French Resistance who wrote the message will be there.

"This was not about saving lives or the taking of life. This is purely what one small animal did for the war effort - feats of great strength and endurance."

Commando earned his corn in 1944 for his daredevil flights out of occupied France.

The homing pigeon completed an unprecedented run of three successful missions carrying vital communiques to Britain when all other communications were cut off.

Commando's name appears on a roll of honour alongside Royal Blue - the King's pigeon from the Royal Lofts at Sandringham.

Both birds were presented with their awards in London on April 12, 1945, by Rear Admiral Bellairs.

Medals presented to animals have always been popular with collectors at auction. The only award presented to a cat fetched £23,000 in 1993.

The "animal VC" was named after Maria Dickin, who started the presentations and founded the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals.

The medal was awarded to 31 pigeons, 18 dogs, three horses and one cat.

The family selling the medal wishes to remain anonymous.