World War II Pigeons, Imperial War Museum Photographs

 

Winkie

Carrier pigeons were supplied to aircraft of the Royal Air Force as a means of tracing those which went missing. 'Winkie' was the first pigeon to be responsible for the rescue of airmen during the Second World War when she flew 120 miles to alert rescue services that a Beaufighter had crashed in the North Sea on 23 February 1943. 'Winkie' is shown with the rescued crew.  © IWM (HU 45623)

 

The Royal Air Force in Britain, October 1942

The seven man crew of an Avro Lancaster bomber wait near the crew room at Waddington, Lincolnshire for transport out to their aircraft. The pigeons seen in boxes in the foreground are homing pigeons carried for communication purposes in case of ditching or radio failure.  © IWM (TR 186)

 

Sergeant A. B. King of the Royal Corps of Signals writing a record of operational flights of his favourite pigeons on the chart marked with crosses. The 8th Army HQ at Vasto, 9 December 1943. Names of the birds go as follows - Messina Kate, Sangro Bill, King Special, Ghibby, Bari Lil, Adas Own.

This particular pigeon section was commanded by Sergeant King (of Wishaw, Lanarkshire) and his two subordinates - Lance Corporal H. J. Jones (of Bromsgrove, Worcestershire) and Signalman J. D. Clough (of St. Helens, Lancashire).

This section of pigeons saw a lot of action up to the date the photograph was taken. They took part in exchange of information when one of the brigades was cut off from the main body of the British 8th Army two weeks earlier. The pigeons were also used during commando raids on the city of Messina in Sicily. © IWM (NA 9757)

Gustav in safe hands after his adventurous flight. 1944

PIGEON BRINGS FIRST INVASION NEWS Gustav, an RAF Coastal Command carrier pigeon, brought the first War Correspondent's dispatch back to England from the Allied Invasion forces off the enemy coast, and the bird was released at 8:30 in the morning. Flying against a 50 mile an hour head wind, the pigeon landed in its loft on a south coast Coastal Command Station at 1:46 in the afternoon. The message was immediately telephoned to London for publication. It read: "We are just twenty miles or so off the beaches. First assault troops landed 0750.  Signal says no interference from enemy gunfire on beach. Passage uneventful. Steaming steadily on. Formations Lightnings, Typhoons, Fortresses crossing since 0545. No enemy aircraft seen."   © CH 13321

United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) in Britain, 1942-45

The nose art of a B-24 Liberator (serial number 42-51451) nicknamed "The Carrier Pigeon" of the 389th Bomb Group.  © IWM (FRE 7905)