Jump to content

The Great Messengers of War


jimmy white
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 140
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

gi joe

PIGEON USA 43 SC 6390

date of award aug 1946

"this bird is credited with making the most outstanding flight by a usa army world war 2 . making the 20 mile flight from the brittish 10th army hq, in the same amount of minutes,it brought a message which arrived just in time to save the lives ofa all allied soldiers from being bombed by their own planes"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

pigeon dd.43.t.139 [australian army signal corps]

date of award feb 1947

"during a heavy tropical storm this bird was released from army boatwhich foundered on wadou beach in the Huon gulf. homing 40 miles to madang it carried message ,which enabled a rescue ship to be sent in time tosalvage the craft of valuable cargo of stores and ammunition"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

PIGEON DD Q 879 [AUSTRALIAN ARMY CORPS]

date of award feb 1947

"during an attack by japanese on a u,s marine patrol on manuus island, pigeons were released to warn headquarters of the impending enemy counter -attack,dd43 despite heavy fire at it, reached the h,q, with the result thatenemy concentrations were bombed and the patrol extricated"

Link to comment
Share on other sites

each and every pigeon in the last posts paid a vital role in the war, allthough these are very brief details, theres a fantastic story, to each and every bird,mentioned.

i,e." GI JOE"WAS THE MOST OUTSTANDING MILATRY PIGEON IN HISTORY, AND IS CREDITED WITH SAVING THE LIVES OF AT LEAST 1000 BRITTISH TROOPS DURING WORLD WAR 2

THE BRITTISH 56TH BRIGADE WS SCHEDULED TO ATTACK THE CITY OF COLVI VECCHIA, ITALY, AT 10 AM OCT 18 1943. THE US AIR SUPPORT COMAND WS SCHEDULED TO BOMB THE CITY TO SOFTEN THE ENTRANCE FOR THE BRITTISH BRIGADE. THE GERMANS RETREATED, LEAVING ONLY A SMALL REAR GAURD, AND AS A RESULT THE BRITTISH TROOPS ENTERED THE CITY WITH LITTLE RESISTANCE AND OCCUPIED IT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

ALL ATTEMPTS TO CANCEL THE BOMBINGS OF THE CITY, MADE BY RADIO AND OTHER MEANS OF COMMUNICATION, HAD FAILED.   LITTLE g i joe. WS RELEASED WITH THE IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO CANCEL THE BOMBING. HEFLEW THE 20 MILES BACK TO THE U.S. AIR SUPPORT COMMAND BASE IN 20 MINUTES, AND ARRIVED JUST AS OUR PLANES WERE WARMING UP TO TAKE OFF. IF HE HAD HAVE ARRIVED A FEW MINUTES LATER, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A DIFERANT STORY.

GENERAL MARK CLARK, COMMANDING THE US FIFTH ARMY, ESTIMATED THAT GI JOE SAVED THE LIVES OF 1000 OF OUR BRITTISH ALLIES.

IN NOV 1946 GI JOE WAS SHIPPED TO ENGLAND, WHERE HE WAS CITED AND AWARDED THE DICKEN MEDAL FOR GALLANTRY BY THE LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. GI JOE IS THE ONLY BIRD OR ANIMAL IN THE UNITED STATES TO RECEIVE THIS HIGH AWRD. GI JOE, A ARK CHEQ PIED WHITE FLIGHT COCK, WAS HATCHED MARCH 24TH 1943, AT THE PIGEON SECTION IN ALGERIA, ALGIERS, NORTH AFRICA,LATER HE AS TAKEN TO THE TUNISIAN FRONT, THEN TO BIZERTE, AND FROM THERE TO THE ITALIAN FRONT.

AFTER WORLD WAR 2 GI JOE WAS HOUSED IN THE CHURCHILL LOFT, THE U.S "ARMIES HALL OF FAME" AT FORT MONMOUTH, N.J. ALONG WITH 24 OTHER PIGEON HEROES. IN MARCH OF 1957, THE REMAINING PIGEON HEROES WERE PLACED WITH DIFFERANT ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS THROUGHOUT THE U,S,A. GI JOE WAS PLACED WITH THE DETROIT ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, WHERE HE DIED ON JUNE 3D 1961 AT THE AGE OF 18. GI JOE WAS RETURNED, MOUNTED AND PLACEDIN THE HISTORICAL CENTER, MEYER HALL AT FORT MONMOUTH, N.J.

 

AS I SAY A FANTASTIC STORY ATTACHED TO EVERY SINGLE BIRD ON THESE POSTS

AND WELL WORTH THE LOOKING UP, AND READING, THEIR INDIVIDUAL STORY

                " THANK GOD FOR THESE BIRDS"    J.W.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

these were all very brief facts about these fantastic birds, but im sure ,with the help of the forum ,we can post a story on each of these birds i.e. like the one with gi, joe.,  very interesting one is winkie based at.r.a.f. leuchars, the first pigeon  to win the dicken medal, homed off the norwegian coast with her wings clogged with oil , wet and exhausted to save a downed bomber crew,,,,,,,mary [of exeter homed homed with her right breast, and badly gashed neck, ripped open and savaged by hawks, then theres paddy,etc etc im sure the members could print the actual story on a lot of these birds, i hope so anyway,, would make very interesting reading,,,,,,,FOR ANYBODY :) :) :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

WINKIE

pigeon nehu 40 ns 1

date of award 2 december 1943

"for delivering a message under extremely exceptionally difficult conditions and so contributing to the rescue of an air crew while serving r,a.f.in febuary 1942"

 

winkie was bred by george & rose ross of b/ferry by dundee

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Have any of you who live in the North East of England heard of "The Searchlight Cock" apparently he used to home down the beam of the searchlight, think Jack Barkel mentioned this to me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

                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,        

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
 Share


  • Advert: Morray Firth One Loft Classic
  • Advert: M.A.C. Lofts Pigeon Products
  • Advert: RV Woodcraft
  • Advert: B.Leefe & Sons
  • Advert: Apex Garden Buildings
  • Advert: Racing Pigeon Supplies
  • Advert: Solway Feeders


×
×
  • Create New...