South Yorkshire Times July 12, 1947

Eggs Were Punctured
Thurnscoe Pigeon Fanciers Export Plans Set At Nought

The efforts of two brothers – one in Thurnscoe and the other in Australia – to improve the stock of racing pigeon “Down under” had been brought to a temporary halt by some enterprising “Sherlock Holmes” in the customs department, either in Britain or Australia.

Valuable Eggs

On June 10, Mr James Davidson, 12 Vincent Terrace, Thurnscoe, a collier at Hickleton Main Colliery, packed four eggs from very valuable pigeons into a wooden box and posted them by airmail from Doncaster Head Post Office to his brother, Mr George Davison, 17 Henderson Rd, New Lambton, Newcastle, New South Wales, a steelworks clerk, who even before he emigrated from Sunderland in 1926 had been an enthusiastic racing pigeon fancier.

Mr George Davison, now 48, and four years older than his Thurnscoe brother, was desirous of introducing a British strain into his lofts and requested his brother to procure these eggs. A box in which the eggs were placed was divided into four compartments, and the eggs, wrapped in tissue paper, were covered with oatmeal.

“The dispatch of the eggs,” Mr James Davison told the “South Yorkshire times” at his Thurnscoe home this week, “took some planning. We had to arrange that the eggs arrived in Australia at the correct date and thus prevent any disorganisation of the loss at that end. This we achieved, but my brother has just notified me that although the eggs arrived unbroken, each had been pierced by some thin instrument, presumably a thin probe.

“Quite Unnecessary.”

My brother says it was obvious that the box had been opened. The eggs of course useless for hatching out after this “operation” which was, of course quite unnecessary. I cannot can see why the eggs should have been interfered with.”

Mr Davison is not a present flying pigeons, but he was associated with the old Thurnscoe Homing Society and before he joined the Army in 1939 – he served with the R.A.S.C. and then with the Pioneer Corps – yet 40 bird, and race and with success. The eggs from Australia he bought from Mr Len Keeling, Middlecliffe, a successful member of Darfield Homing Society.

Mr Davison, who is now making enquires to ascertain what redress he has against the damage you suffered, said that British racing pigeons were greatly in demand for breeding purposes, a long distance flying qualities been particularly valuable.