The Great Messengers of War

[Wiley]

GRIZZLE HEN NPS41 NS8895

HAVING BUILT UP A REPUTATION OF RELIABILLITY ON A NORMAL RAF SERVICE THIS PIGEON WAS SELECTED FOR A SPECIAL TASK FOR AN INTELLIGENCE BRANCH DROPPED WITH AN AGENT IN THE NETHERLANDS SHE DELIEVED THE MESSAGE THE SAME MORNING AS RELEASED 10TH SEPTEMBER 1944 A DISTANCE OF APPROX 200 MILES RELEASED IN DARKNESS BEFORE DAWN.LOST ON OPERATION 1945

[Wiley]

'STUMPY' NPS42 NS13094

CONTINOUS ASR WORK FROM 1942 FLEW FROM NORMANDY BEACHES AFTER D-DAY BUT RETURNED TO LOFT MINUS A FOOT

[Wiley]

'LAST HOPE' RED CHEQ COCK NPS42 6746

A VERY CONSISTENT PIGEON WHOSE BEST PERFORMANCE WERE 230 MILES NORTH IN 6 HOURS 51 MINUTES 130 MILES FROM CHERBOUG PENINSULAR UNDER DIFFICULT CONDITIONS IN 5 HOURS 10 MINS AND AGAIN SIMIULAR DISTANCE FROM GRANCE IN 4 HOURS 42 MINS

[Wiley]

'WILLIAM OF ORANGE' MEALY COCK NPS42 NS15125

DURING TRAINING FLIGHT FLEW 68MILES IN 58 MINUTES.ON SERVICE WITH AIRBOURNE TROOPS AT ARNHEM WAS LIBERATED AT 10.30 HOURS ON 19TH SEPTEMBER 1944 RETURNED TO LOFT IN 4 HOURS 25 MINUTES DISTANCE 260 MILES OF WHICH 135 MILES WAS OVER OPEN SEA

[Wiley]

'TIGER TIM' NPS42 NS16542

SEVERAL TIMES RELEASED FROM AIRCRAFT OVER THE SEA ALWAYS MAKING GOOD TIME TO THE LOFTS ALSO USED BY THE US ARMY NORMANDY

[Wiley]

'WINSTON ' BLUE CHEQ COCK NPS42 47262

IN THE COURSE OF HIS SERVICE HAD 53 OPERATIONAL TRIPS OVER ENEMY TERRITORY AMONG HIS  PERFORMANCES WERE THE FOLLOWING : AIR RELEASED 70 MILES FROM BASE HOMED IN 2 HOURS,AIR RELEASED 90 MILES FROM BASE 1 HOUR 57 MINS,AIR RELEASED 145 MILES FROM BASE 5 HOURS 6 MINS AIR RELEASED 200 MILES FROM BASE 4 HOURS 48 MINS,HE ALSO FLEW 400 MILES IN 13 AND A HALF HOURS,THESE WERE FROM ALL DIRECTIONS OF THE COMPASS

[Wiley]

BLUE CHEQ HEN NPS 43 29022

THIS HEN FOR TWO YEARS MAINTAINED A REPUTATION FOR CONSISTENT PERFORMANCE IN 1945 SHE HAD THE ILL LUCK NOT TO BE PICKED UP FOR SEVERAL DAYS AFTER BEING DROPPED BY A PARACHUTE.NEVERTHELESS SHE STRUGGLED HOME 10 DAYS LATER FROM A DISTANCE OVER 300 MILES IN GERMAN OCCUPIED TERRITORY

[Wiley]

JUNIOR MISS' BLUE PIED HEN NPS44 17262

THIS YOUNG PIGEON COMPLETED HER FIRST OPERATION TRAINING AT 4 MONTHS OLD.A MONTH LATER SHE DELIVERED A MESSAGE 190 MILES IN 4 HOURS UNDER CONDITIONS  WHICH WERE NOT FAVOURABLE.SHE THEN WAS SENT FOR TEST PURPOSE WITH A CIVILIAN OPEN RACE FROM PENZANCE 280 MILES HOMING IN 6 HOURS BEATING ALL CIVILIANS AND ONLY BEATEN BY ONE RAF PIGEON

[Wiley]

'PER ARDUA' RED CHEQ HEN NPS44 17262

BRITISH LONG DISTANCE RECORD HOLDER

ON THE 12TH SEPTEMBER 1944 THIS YOUNG PIGEON DELIVERED A MESSAGE OVER 190 MILES AGAINST A STIFF HEAD WIND IN 8 HOURS AND 45 MINS.

ON THE 23RD OF SEPTEMBER 1944 SHE WAS SENT FOR TEST PURPOSES WITH THE LONDON COLUMBARIAN OPEN PENZANCES RACE 280 MILES HOMING IN AT 6 HOURS 4 MINS BEATING ALL CIVILIANS AND ONLY BEING BEATEN BY ONE RAF PIGEON WITH WHICH SHE ARRIVED IN COMPANY.ON THE 31ST OCTOBER 1944 WAS SENT TO GIBRALTAR WITH A SELECTED DRAFT OF YOUNG BIRDS.THE DRAFT ARRIVED AT GIBRALTAR ON THE 14TH NOVEMBER AND THIS PIGEON WAS FIRST RELEASED  FOR SETTLING PURPOSES  AT 17.00 HOURS ON THE 27TH NOVEMBER.AT 17.17 HOURS ON DECEMBER 9TH SHE ARRIVED AT HER OLD LOFT AT GILLINGHAM IN A STATE OF EXTREME EXHAUSTION DISTANCE 1,090 MILES.ITS NOT CERTAIN WHEN SHE LEFT GIBRALTAR,ALTHOUGH ITS LIKELY SHE WOULD NOT CLEAR ON THE NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 27TH.SHE WAS NOT MISSED AT GIBRALTAR UNTILL DECEMBER 4TH AS RING NUMBERS OF THE DRAFT WERE NOT AGAIN CHECKED BEFORE THIS DATE IN ORDER TO AVOID UNNECCESSARILY DISTURBING THE BIRDS IN PROCESS OF SETTLING IN THE NEW LOFT.THE PREVIOUS BRITISH RECORD WAS MADE IN 1913 AND WAS THE RESULT FROM DOVER WITH 106 EXPERIENCED OLD PIGEONS COMPETEING. THE WINNER ARRIVED 28 DAYS AFTER THE START AND FLEW 1,001 MILES.THE ONLY ARRIVAL DID 1,090 MILES IN 6 WEEKS. THIS YOUNG AND UNASSISTED BIRD THEREFORE IN HOMING 1,090 MILES AT THE WORST IN UNDER 12 DAYS SETS UP A NEW BRITISH RECORD AND POSSIBLY THEN THE WORLD RECORD FOR A YOUNG BIRD ON A SINGLE FLIGHT

[Wiley]

the dundee life saver.flew 22 miles in 22 minutes the message carried saved two airmens lives

[Wiley]

'WUN HI'THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF TWO SEAPLANES ALTHOUGH SHOT IN THE EYE,SAFELY DELIVERED ITS LAST MESSAGE,WHOEVER NAMED THE BIRD MUST HAVE HAD SOME SENSE OF HUMOUR OR WAS CHINESE

[Wiley]

A LOFT FULL OF RESERVE PIGEONS,READY FOR OPERATIONS

[Wiley]

BLUE COCK NU41 NS3546

DURING THE PERIOD IN NORMANDY OPERATIONS AND UP TO AUGUST 1944 THIS PIGEON FLEW OVER 2,000 MILES IN AGGREGATE,INCLUDING ONE FLIGHT ON 17TH JUNE 1944 OF 387 MILES AT OVER 50 MPH AND ANOTHER FLIGHT OF 450 MILES ARRIVING ON DAY OF RELEASE

[Wiley]

BLUE COCK NU42D670

THIS PIGEON WAS ABROAD A HOMEWARD BOUND NAVAL MTB OFF THE ENEMY COAST WHEN THE DITCHED CREW OF FIVE OF THE RAF. STIRLING WERE SIGHTED IN THEIR DINGHY.THE CREW WERE PICKED UP WITH SERIOUS INJURIES.WIRELESS SILENCE WAS BEING MAINTAINED.THIS PIGEON WAS RELEASED WITH A MESSAGE REQUESTING AMBULANCE TO DOCKSIDE AND THE MTB PROCEEDED TO BASE ABOUT 100 MILES DISTANT AT FULL SPEED.THE PIGEON HOMED IN LITTLE OVER 2 HOURS  AND ON ARRIVAL OF THE MTB THE AMBULANCE AND A SURGEON WERE AT THE DOCKSIDE 11TH SEPTEMBER 1942

[jimmy white]

great stories these i find it quite fascinating,,,,just a wee article headed "winged heroes"

for as long as men have waged war, pigeons have been their messegers in battle. during world war 2 more pigeons were used for more purposes than in any previous conflict. thousands of racing pigeon owners joined the national pigeon service knowing that their birds would be deployed as messengers by the allied forces, or maybe dropped by parachute, to be used by the frebch resistance.

a pigeons ability and stamina may vary but they all possess a determination to "get there"and the 32 birdsthat received the pdsa dicken medal displayed this winning quality.their contribution represents the efforts of countless other pigeons whos flights saved the lives of many people and assured the success of vital military operations, the first pigeon to receive the p.d.s.a. dicken medal was off course the now world wide famous winkie and off course many of these pigeons are all mentioned in all the posts in this topic,   great true stories to every one of them, j.w.

[snowy]

its just amazing that these birds was such a big help in the wars, & hardly anyone would know this unless you were a pigeon fancier.

it would be great for all the schools to know this

[jimmy white]

bet it would be snowy as well as being educational ill bet the kids would love to hear about the birds and the stories attached to them , would be nice to do someting like that  and show them pigeons, let them handle and release them , maybe get some decent budding young fanciers,,,,,,worth thinking about :)

[jimmy white]

WORTH A THOUGHT FOR THE DOGS TOO, I COUNTED 18 WINNING THE DICKEN MEDALDURING THE WAR BUT THOUGHT IT WORTH MENTIONING AN ARTICLE FROM THE PDSA TODAY,

THE DICKEN MEDAL-THE ANIMALS V,C--REMAINS THE HIGHEST HONOUR ANY ANIMAL CAN RECEIVE IN RESPECT OF ACTING CORAGIOUSLY ALONG SIDE MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES OR CIVIL DEFENCE UNITS IN AREAS OF CONFLICT OR UBDER CIRCUMSTANCES OF EXTREME DANGER,

INSPIRED BY THE GALLANTRY OF THE CANINE SEARCH AND RESCUE TEAMS WORKING AT GROUND LEVEL ZERO AND THE PENTAGON, FOLLOWING THE TERRORIST ATTACKS ON NEW YORK AND WASHINGTON ON   SEP  11  2001    FOR THE FIRST TIME THE PDSA DICKEN MEDAL WAS AWARDED BY BALLOT TO DOGS FROM THE NYPD, FIRE  DEP.. PART AUTHORITY, INTERNATIONAL RESCUE, SUFFOLK COUNTY PD AND VOLUNTEER TEAMS, THIS VERY SPECIAL AWARD WAS MADE IN RECOGNITION OF THE

UNSTINTING DEVOTION IN THE SERVICE OF MAN OF SOME 400 DOGS AND THEIR HANDLERS WHO WORKED IN UNISON TO THE POINT OF EXHAUSTION, LOOKING FOR LIFE AMIDST THE RUINS.

 

TWO GUIDE DOGS SALTY AND ROSELLE, WERE SIMILARLY DECORATED FOR THEIR DEVOTION TO DUTY IN REMAINING WITH THEIR BLIND OWNERS AND SAFELY LEADING THEM FROM THE WORLD TRADE CENTRE TO A PLACE OF SAFETY.

 

ALL ARE REMINDERS THAT ANIMALS AND BIRDS CONTINUE TO ACT COURAGEOUSLY IN THE SERVICE OF MANKIND

[snowy]

another site with some good stuff about pigeons in the war

http://www.interbug.com/pigeon/messaging/photos/tobacco.html

 

[paul l]

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/northernireland/yourplaceandmine/topics/war/dday_news.shtml

a bit more info on Paddy. he was of the PUTMAN STRAIN.

great thread jim, ;D

 

fantastic bit of filim there mate

 

[Guest CS]

Very interesting....  Good article's....

[jimmy white]

RUHR EXPRESS

pigeon no n,p,s.43 29018

date of award may 1945 " for carrying an imporant message from the rhur pocket in excellent time,,,with the r,a,f,in april 1945"

 

PICTURE OF RUHR EXPRESS SOLD FOR A WORLD RECORD THEN,, OF £410

[sgtsmokewitme42o]

Chatrace Here is a link that talks about G.I JOE The white Flight of world war II

http://www.pigeonclubsusa.com/faircount_facts_info_gijoe.htm

[jimmy white]

                CHER AMI   [DEAR FRIEND]

PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS OF ALL CARRIER PIGEONS WAS "CHER AMI", TWO FRENCH WORDS MEANING" DEAR FREIND". CHER AMI SEVERAL TIMES ON THE FRONT LINES DURING THE FALL OF 1918. HE FLEW 12 IMPORTANT MISSIONS TO DELIVER MESSAGES. PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT WAS THE MESSAGE HE CARRIED ON OCT 4TH 1918.

MR CHARELES WHITTLESEY WAS A LAWYER IN NEW YORK, BUT WHEN THE USA CALLED FOR SOLDIERS TO HELP FRANCE REGAIN THEIR FREEDOM, WHITTLESAY JOINED THE ARMY AND WENT TO EUROPE TO HELP. HE WAS MADE THE COMMANDEROF A BATTALION OF SOLDIERS IN THE 77TH INFANTRY DIV. KNOWN AS THE LIBERTY DIVISION BECAUSE MOST OF THE MEN WORE A BRIGHT BLUE PATCH ON THEIR SHOULDERS THAT HAD ON IT THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.

ON OCT 3D 1918 MAJOR WHITTLESEY AND MORE THAN 500 MEN WERE TRAPPED IN A SMALL DEPRESSION ON THE SIDE OF THE HILL. SURROUNDED BY ENEMY SOLDIERS, MANY WERE KILLED AND WOUNDED ON THE FIRST DAY. BUY THE SECOND DAY ONLY A LITTLE MORE THAN 200 MEN WERE STILL ALIVE OR UNWOUNDED.

MAJOE WHITTLESEY SENT OUT SEVERAL PIGEONS TO TELL THE COMMANDERS WHERE HE WAS, AND HOW BAD THE TRAP WAS. THE NEXT AFTERNOON HE HAD ONLY ONE PIGEON LEFT, CHER AMI.

DURING THE AFTERNOON THE AMERICAN ARTILLERY TRIED TO SAVE SOME PROTECTION BY FIRING HUNDREDS OF ROUNDS OF BIG ARTILLERY ROUNDS INTO THE RAVINE WHERE THE GERMANS SURROUNDED HIM AND HIS MEN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE AMERICAN COMMANDERS DIDNT KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE AMERICAN SOLDIERS WERE, AND STARTED DROPPING THE BIG SHELLS RIGHT ON TOP OF THEM. IT WAS A HORRIBLE SITUATION THAT MIGHT HAVE RESULTED IN MAJOR WHITTLESEY AND ALL HIS MEN GETTING KILLED- BY THEIR OWN ARMY.

MAJOR WHITTLESAY CALLED FOR HIS LAST PIGEON , CHER AMI. HE WROTE A SIMPLE QUICK NOTE, TELLING THE MEN WHO DIRECTED THE ARTILLERY GUNS WHERE THE AMERICANS WERE LOCATED AND ASKING FOR THEM TO STOP. THE NOTE WAS PUT IN THE CANNISTER ON CHER AMI,S LEFT LEG SIMPLY SAID    "WE ARE ALONG THE ROAD PARALLEL TO 276.4" "OUR OWN ARTILLRY IS DROPPING A BARRIAGE DIRECTLY ON US. FOR HEAVENS SAKE, STOP IT".

AS CHER AMI TRIED TO FLY HOME, THE GERMANS SAW HIM RISING OUT OF THE BRUSH AND OPENED FIRE, FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, BULLETS ZIPPED THROUGH THE AIR ALL AROUND HIM. FOR A MINUTE IT LOOKED LIKE THE LITTLE PIGEON WAS GOING TO FALL, THAT HE WASNT GOING TO MAKE IT. THE DOOMED AMERICAN INFANTRYMEN WERE CRUSHED, THEIR LAST LAST HOME WAS PLUMMETING TO EARTH AGAINST A VERY HEAVY ATTACK FROM GERMAN BULLETS.  SOMEHOW CHER AMI MANAGED TO SPREAD HIS WINGS AND START CLIMBING AGAIN, HIGHER, AND HIGHER BEYOND THE RANGE OF THE ENEMY GUNS. THE LITTLE BIRD FLEW 25 MILES IN 25 MINUTES TO DELIVER THE MESSAGE. THE SHELLING STOPPED ,AND MORE THAN 200 AMERICAN LIVESWERE SAVED....ALL BECAUSE THE LITTLE BIRD NEVER QUIT TRYING.

ON HIS LAST MISSION, CHER AMI WAS BADLY WOUNDED. WHEN HE FINALLY REACHED HIS COOP, HE COULD NOLONGER FLY, AND THE SOLDIER THAT ANSWERED THE SOUND OF THE BELL, FOUND THE BIRD LAYING ON HIS BACK, COVERED IN BLOOD. HE HAD BEEN BLINDED IN ONE EYE, AND A BULLET HAD HIT HIS BREASBONE, MAKING A HOLE THE SIZE OF A QUARTER. FROM THAT AWFULL HOLE, HANGING BY JUST A FEW TENDONS, WAS THE ALMOST SEVERED LEG OF THE BRAVE LITTLE BIRD.ATTACHED TO THAT LEG WAS A SILVER CANISTER, WITH THE ALL IMPORTANT MESSAGE. ONCE AGAIN ,CHER AMI WOULDNT QUIT UNTIL HE HAD FINISHED THE JOB.

CHER AMI BECAME THE HERO OF THE 77TH INF. DIV. AND WHEN MEDICS WORKED LONG AND HARD TO PATCH HIM UP. WHEN THE FRENCH SOLDIERS LEARNED THE STORY OF CHER AMI,S BRAVERY AND DETERMINATION, THEY GAVE HIM ONE OF THEIR OWN COUNTRIES GREAT HONOURS. CHER AMI , THE BRAVE CARRIER PIGEON WAS PRESENTED WITH A MEDAL CALLED THE FRENCH   CROIX DE GUERRE WITH A PALM LEAF.

THOUGH THE DEDICATED MEDICS SAVED CHER AMI,S LIFE, THEY COULDNT SAVE HIS LEG. THE MEN OF THE DIV. WERE CAEFULL TO TAKE CARE OF THE LITTLE BIRD THAT HAD SAVED THE LIVES OF 200 OF THEIR FREINDS, AND EVEN CARVED A SMALL WOODEN LEG FOR HIM, WHEN CHER AMI WAS WELL ENOUGH TOTRAVEL, THE LITTLE ONE-LEGGED HERO WAS PUT ON A BOAT TO THE U,S . THE COMMANDER OF ALL THE U,S, ARMY,  THE GREAT GENERAL JOHN J PERSHING, PERSONALLY SAW CHER AMI OFF AS HE DEPARTED FROM FRANCE.

             CHER AMI, BY WEBB FARRINGTON.

      

               CHER AMI,HOW DO YOU DO,

               LISTEN, LET ME TALK TO YOU

               ILL NOT HURT YOU, DONT YOU SEE?

               COME A LITTLE CLOSE TO ME.

 

               LITTLE SCRAWNY BLUE WHITE FLIGHT

               MESSENGER FOR MEN  WHO FIGHT    

               TELL ME OF THE DEEP, RED SCAR,

                THERE,JUST WHERE NO FEATHERS ARE.

    

                 WHAT ABOUT YOUR POOR LEFT LEG?

                 TELL ME, CHER AMI I BEG

                  BOYS AND GIRLS ARE AT A LOSS,

                 HOW YOU WON THAT SILVER CROSS.

 

                  "THE FINEST FUN THAT CAME TO ME

                    WAS WHEN I WENT WITH WHITTLSEY;

                   WE MARCHED SO FAST, SO FAR AHEAD,

                   " WE ALL ARE LOST"THE KEEPER SAID;

 

                    MON CHER AMI_ THATS MY DEAR FREIND

                    YOU ARE THE ONE WELL HAVE TO SEND

                     THE WHOLE BATTALIAN NOW IS LOST,

                     AND YOU MUST WIN AT ANY COST.

 

                      SO WITH MESAGE TIED ON TIGHT;

                      I FLEW UP STRAIGHT WITH ALL MY MIGHT,

                       BEFORE I GOT UP HIGH ENOUGH,

                       THOSE WATCHFULL GUNS BEGAN TO PUFF.

 

                        MACHINE GUN BULLETS CAME LIKE RAIN,

                        YOUD THINK I WAS AN AEROPLANE;

                         AND WHEN I STARTED TO THE REAR,  

                          MY? THE SHOT WAS COMMING NEAR.

 

                         BUT I FLEW ON , STRAIGHT AS A BEE;

                          THE WIND COULD NOT CATCH UP WITH ME

                          UNTILL I DROPPED OUT OF THE AIR,

                          INTO OUR OWN MENS CAMP, SO THEIR;

 

                           BUT, CHER AMI, UPON MY WORD,

                            YOU MODEST MODEST LITTLE BIRD;

                            NOW DONT YOU KNOW THAT YOU FORGOT?

                            TELL HOW YOUR BREAST AND LEG WERE SHOT.

 

                             " OH YES THE DAY WE CROSSED THE MEUSE,

                               I FLEW TO RAMPART WITH THE NEWS;

                                AGAIN THE BULLETS CAME LIKE HAIL,

                               I THOUGHT FOR SURE THAT I WOULD FAIL.

 

                                THE BULLETS BUZZED BY LIKE A BEE,

                                 SO CLOSE , IT ALMOST FRIGHTENED ME.;

                                 ONE STRUCK THE FEATHERS OF THIS SAIL,

                                  ANOTHER WENT RIGHT THROUGH MY TAIL.

 

                                  BT WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE REAR.

                                  I FOUND THEY HIT ME HERE, AND HERE;

                                  BUT THAT IS NOTHING NEVER MIND

                                   OLD POILU, THERE IS NEARLY BLIND.

 

                                   I ONLY CARE FOR WHAT THEY SAID,

                                   FOR WHEN THEY SAW THE WAY I BLED

                                    AND FOUND IN FRONT A SWOLLEN LUMP

                                     THE MESSAGE HANGING FROM THIS STUMP;

 

                                    THE FRENCH AND MINE SAID, "TRES BIEN",

                                     OR VERY GOOD,,,,,,, AMERICAN.

                                     MON CHER AMI, YOU BROUGHT GOOD NEWS;

                                     OUR ARMY,S GONE ACROSS THE MEUSE.

 

                                     YOU SURELY HAD A LUCKY CALL/

                                      AND SO IM GLAD. I GUESS THATS ALL.

                                      ILL SIT, SO PARDON ME, I BEG;

                                       ITS HARD A_STANDING ON ONE LEG????

 

CHER AMI DIED OF HIS MULTIPLE WAR WOUNDS ON JUNE 13TH 1919      LESS THAN A YEAR HE HAD COMPLETED HIS SERVICE TO THE U,S ARMY SIGNAL CORPS, UPON HIS DEATH A TAXIDERMIST PRESERVED THE SMALL PIGEON FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, A BIRD WITH A STORY THAT BECOME AN INSPIRATION , TO MILLIONS OVER THE YEARS,        

 

every time i read this i find it truly amazing,,a fantastic true story worth another read

[jimmy white]

infantrymen are trained to fight on the ground artillerymen are responsible for the big guns, armor refers to men who fight in tanks , and the air force for a group of soldiers who fought in the air, during world war 1 one of the oldest groups of soldiers was the members of the  U,S ARMY SIGNAL CORPS,since the birth of our nation, it was these men that were responsible for insuring that messages between all units [including messages to other branches like the navy and marines ] got through, the army signal corps identifies itself by a torch with two crossed flags, these reprisent SIGNAL FLAGS], a common way that messages were passed using code.

when the u,s, entered world war 1 in 19 17 , the army signal corpswere given 600 PIGEONSfor the purpose of passing messages when it couldnt be done by signal flag or feild phone. THE PIGEONS WERE DONATED BY PIGEON BREEDERS IN GREAT BRITTAIN, then trained for their jobs by american soldiers.

 

during the meuse-argonne offensive, the 2 month battle that finally ended world war 1 ,,,,,442 PIGEONS were used in the area of verdun, to carry hundreds of messages ,this is how the system worked;

 

when a commander in the feild needed to send a message, he first wrote the message out on paper, trying to be both breif and yet as detailed as possible, then he called for one of signal corps officers, who would bring one of the PIGEONS that went with the soldiers in battle, the message would be put in the capsule on the birds leg, and the bird would be tossed high in the air to fly home,

the carrier pigeon would fly back to his base ,behind the enemy lines . when landed, the wires in the coop would sound a bell or buzzer, and another soldier of the signal corp would remove the message ,from the cannister and then send a telegraph. feild phone or personal messenger, to the right persons .

 

carrier pigeons did a most important job. it was also very dangerous. if the enemy soldiers were nearby when a pigeon was released ,they tried to shoot the pigeon down,so the message couldnt be delivered.

 

some of these pigeons became very famous [as mentioned in all previous posts] one pigeon, known as the mocker flew 52 missions before he was wounded, another was named president wilson ,,,,,,he was injured in the last week of the war, and it seemed impossible for him to reach his destination.though he lost his foot , the message still got through to save a large group of surrounded american infantrymen,,,,,,,,,,,,the pigeon keepers of today are still keeping and racing the relatives of all these brave birds ,that saved litterally thousands of lives ,,,,,just think about it ,quite amazing ,,,,,,jimmy white