Awaiting a message

The troops were surrounded and their radio had been knocked out, they were waiting anxiously for a carrier pigeon with a message.

As they watched the pigeon came in sight, and just at that moment a shot rang out and the pigeon fell into a shell hole 50 yards out.

The colonel called for volunteers to go out and retrieve the message from the pigeon, three men died trying.

Paddy from Dublin says "I’ll give it a try sir."

The colonel says "do what you can paddy, as without the instructions in the message we are all doomed."

Paddy is hit by four bullets and shrapnel on his way to the shell hole and back.

He tumbles into the trench mortally wounded, the colonel by his side asking him what the message was from the pigeon.

Paddy was drifting in and out of consciousness, the colonel said “Paddy I will get you the VC for this. Now what did the pigeon say?”

Paddy replied

Spoiler:

“coo, coo, coo, coo.”