The British Army in the United
Kingdom, 1939-45
A
message written on rice paper is put into a container and attached to a carrier
pigeon by members of 61st Division Signals at Ballymena, Northern Ireland, 3
July 1941. Imperial War Museum © IWM (H 11281)
As Me: A Story of
Birds, People, the Second World War, and Reincarnation by Jennifer Spangler is now free to read online. Birds play major roles in the story and many
sections are told from a bird’s perspective.
If you’d like to check it out, search for asmeintwocenturies.blogspot.com.
That’s as me in two centuries spelled
out.
BLETCHLEY PARK PODCAST JULY 9, 2019, E92, THE D-DAY DODGERS INCLUDES
WARTIME AUDIO DOCUMENTING A PIGEON DELIVERING CRUCIAL VICTORY MESSAGE DURING
THE ITALIAN CAMPAIGN. SEARCH BLETCHLEY
PARK PODCASTS TO FIND YOUR FORMAT.
This is an excerpt from the Signal Pigeon Company Handbook, published
by the United States War Department in 1944.
Self Reliance books published a facsimile of this manual in 2017. From page 4 of Section II. DUTIES AND CAPABILITIES:
“8. CAPABILITIES. a.
Reliability. Reliability is
the most desirable characteristic of the homing pigeon. Records disclose that 99 percent of the
messages sent by pigeons during tactical operations are delivered successfully.”
The Red Pigeon
In They Had No Choice, Racing Pigeons At War, Garry McCafferty
recounts the story of Tom Milar, as told to him by Eric Smallman of Kent. Best friends, Eric and Tom went into the
forces at the same time and served in the infantry in France. During a heavy bombardment of British troops,
both men were severely wounded.
Stretcher bearers picked Eric up.
Tom made it to a trench. A few
days later, Eric learned that Tom had died.
He spoke with the medic who had recovered Tom’s body. The medic had found a dead pigeon in his
tunic. This seemed fitting because Tom
had kept pigeons before the war. But how
did Tom have a pigeon with him in the trench? Years later, in the early
seventies, Eric received a collection of papers and a worn red diary from Tom’s
son Brian. Then, in 2001, Eric was
reading Pigeon Weekly and saw an
article about McCafferty’s forthcoming book.
He called McCafferty and told him about Tom and the pigeon and said it
would be a tribute to Tom if the story were in the book. McCafferty writes, “A few days later I was to
receive the diary, which I have to say was heartbreaking to read. I have set out below the last entry written
by Tom before he died.”
Things don’t look too
good. I’ve been badly hurt, my left leg
has been blown away from the knee. I don’t think I will last much longer as I am
losing too much blood. I’m in the South
trench but everyone is dead, there is no movement, only the smoke and the
smell. Please tell Mary and the children
that I love them with all my heart, I hope they don’t feel bad of me. I can’t write much more. I am weak.
I know I will soon be with my Maker.
I am not afraid. I thought I was
on my own but a red pigeon has just fallen from the sky and is just a few
inches from me. He must be on service
too. We make a good pair, I have one leg
left, and he is missing a wing. I will
keep him warm, we will go on together, goodnight, God bless.
Tom
Half-buried, a camouflaged
combat loft at the Anzio beachhead, Italy. From The Pigeons That Went to War by Gordon H. Hayes. Used by permission of the Pacific Library.
Below is a list of posts with their
post date. Click on the year in the blog
archive on the right to find a post. Even if a document is partially covering the arrow, you can still click on the month and go to that page. You
can also scroll past this list of posts and read posts page by page.
Pigeon
Messages: “When you have our exact
address through Lockhart, do your utmost to let us have other pigeons in this
district.” 3/26/22
Pigeon
Messages 3/19/22
Pigeon
Messages: “They have already destroyed a
pigeon found by a woman who gave it up to them.” 2/26/22
Intelligence
on Coastal Defenses 2/19/22
Pigeon Messages 2/12/22
Pigeon Messages: “There is nothing to eat.” 1/26/22
Pigeon
Messages: “The ‘blackshirts’ try to get
out of it when they get orders to go to Russia.” 1/14/22
Pigeon Questions
and Intelligence on Coastal Defenses
1/8/22
Notes on the
Tactical Use of Pigeons in the Desert of California and Arizona 12/17/21
Pigeon Messages:
“…the Germans prosecute and murder as much as they can.” 12/11/21
A History of the 280th Signal Pigeon Company-All chapters 12/4/21
History of
the Fourth Pigeon Platoon 11/13/21
Pigeon
Message: The Palomacy 2022 Bird-A-Day Desk
and Wall Calendars Are Available 11/8/21
Pigeon Messages: “They are beaten and tortured to try to make them talk, but they invariably remain mute. They are brave people.” 11/6/21
Pigeon Messages: “We have no more pigeons. Please send us some by parachute…” 10/30/21
Pigeon Messages: “…please let us know over the B.B.C. saying
that you will send immediately two other pigeons and quote the coordinates.” 10/22/21
Pigeon Messages: “Tell your bomber pilots to be more
accurate. Many civilian victims.” 10/17/21
Pigeon Messages: “Be careful when machine gunning roads. Many of us are killed.” 10/9/21
Pigeon Messages: “The electric current has been cut and we are
therefore without news.” 10/3/21
Pigeon Messages: “Round where I live I know of 4 emplacements
of flying torpedos.” 9/26/21
Pigeon
Messages: “Germany and France
kapout. England and America very
rich. We are lost.” 9/19/21
Tribute to
the Palomacy BirdADay Calendar 9/14/21
Pigeon
Messages From Behind Enemy Lines 9/11/21
Pigeon Messages From Behind Enemy Lines 9/4/21
Maroon
Pigeon 3/23/21
War Pigeons and Pigeon Messages 2/9/21
“Through a
mishap this bird lost the questionnaire”
Pigeon Messages, 1941 1/26/21
277th
Signal Pigeon Company and Third Army, Pigeon Messages From Behind Enemy Lines,
1941, and A Look at the Palomacy Calendar
1/12/21
Pigeon
Messages from Behind Enemy Lines, 1941 12/22/20
Correspondence
regarding use of pigeons in North Africa, 1943
12/15/20
Ike commands
expanded use of pigeons in North Africa, August 1943 and BirdADay Desk Calendar
to benefit pigeon and dove rescue
12/8/20
Planning
5000 pigeons for Husky, May 1943 12/4/20
Pigeon
Messages from Behind Enemy Lines, 1941
11/23/20
New Book in
the Pigeon History Genre: War Pigeons by Elizabeth Macalaster 11/16/20
Pigeon
Messages from Behind Enemy Lines, 1941, and Patton excerpt 11/13/20
Pigeon
Messages from Behind Enemy Lines, 1941
11/7/20
Pigeon
Messages from Behind Enemy Lines, 1941 and Patton Books 10/28/20
Pigeon
Messages from Behind enemy Lines, 1941 and excerpt from Moon Squadron 10/21/20
Happy Days
are Here Again and Pigeon Messages from Behind Enemy Lines, 1941 10/16/20
Paiforce
Pigeon Service War Diary July-November, 1943 and Pigeon Messages from Behind
Enemy Lines, 1941 10/8/20
Pigeon
Messages From Behind Enemy Lines and Who Were Fasson and Grazier 10/1/20
Messages
from Occupied Europe 9/26/20
Special
podcast about the Battle of Britain and How did the Blitz influence the use of
pigeons in WWII? 9/12/20
Picking the Right Pigeon: Royal Air
Force Pigeon Instructions 8/28/20
Pigeons aid
in SOE agent’s escape from France, 1940
8/1/20
Gordon H.
Hayes photos: more photos added 5/9/20
Reorganization
of Middle East Pigeon Service after victory at El Alamein, 1942 4/25/20
Pigeons
deliver 884 messages in first year of Middle East Pigeon Service, 1943;
Bletchley Park short film 4/12/20
“Unlikely
Alliance” by Chuck Oshaben: A story about crows and young pigeons 3/28/20
Middle East
Breeding Centre and School, 50 pigeons needed at Aden, 1943, and talk about
Enigma by Dermot Turing, 2020 3/15/20
50 lofts
needed in East Africa and Pigeon Loft 271 to serve Bombers USAAF, 1943 3/8/20
Supply of
pigeons from South Africa and Establishment of Lofts for Middle East Pigeon
Service, Jan-Mar 1943 3/8//20
Construction
of sectional lofts at Benghazi and Tripoli, March 1943 1/14/20
Expansion of
Breeding in Middle East Pigeon Service
12/28/19
US Army
Signal Pigeon Companies Manuals 12/25/19
Why does the
hawk wait? 11/28/19
Have the
pigeons arrived? Managing the Pigeon
Service in Africa, 1943 11/2/19
Accommodations
for 3300 pigeons, March 1943 10/5/19
Remembering
a brave pigeon 09/28/19
Report on
pigeons in East Africa, April 29, 1943
08/30/19
2500 pigeons
needed from South Africa, May 1943
08/24/19
NOMAD
pigeons 08/15/19
Plot of 2019
novel centers around Britain’s National Pigeon Service 08/11/19
568 pigeons
sent on service, Cyprus, November 1943
08/07/19
Portsmouth
museum displays Gustav’s Dickin Medal
8/07/19
New Orleans
Glassworks and Printmaking Studio Honors World War II Pigeons 7/18/19
Pigeoneer’s
Operations Manual 7/18/19
Middle East
Pigeon Service Report February 24,
1943 7/13/19
Instructions
for Middle East Pigeon Service Personnel, 1943
7/4/19
Pigeons in
Iraq, April 1943 6/29/19
Report on
Visit to Western Desert, March 1943
6/20/19
Brave
Pigeons, Humble Pigeons, Fast Pigeons, and Pigeons Who Flew from the Normandy
Beaches: The Meritorious Performance
List 5/31/19
Pigeons in
Africa, May 1943 5/25/19
75th
Anniversary of D-Day 5/21/19
Pigeons in
question duly arrived and youngsters ready for South Africa, 1943 5/10/19
Adjustments
to Middle East Pigeon Service as Allies make progress, April 1943 5/6/19
The Bird 4/6/19
A Different
Pigeon Story 3/28/19
Middle East
Pigeon Service Reports 3/19/19
A baby
pigeon, called to duty, takes the train
2/21/19
War
Pigeons: Captain Fulton, G.I. Joe 2/21/19
War
Pigeons: Yank, Lady Astor, The Doll
Baby 2/21/19
9 HQ Section
Pigeons, 1943 2/5/19
Next to our
hearts 1/25/19
Middle East
Pigeon Service Pigeons: Photos 1/15/1
The Pigeons That Went to War, Gordon H. Hayes Collection 1/12/19
Middle East
Pigeon Service photos contributed by Jane M. Barrett 1/4/19
War
Pigeons: Italian Alps, January 1945 12/26/18
Honoring a
veteran and pigeon historian, Frank Quatrocci
12/8/18
War
Pigeons: Cassino, Italy, 1944: Miss
Peggy, Master Brian, Just Jerry 11/28/18
15 HQ
Carrier Pigeon Section pigeons readied for use by USAAF and RAF, 1943 11/24/18
War
Pigeons: Tunisian Campaign, Lady Astor,
1943 11/24/18
236
Operational messages delivered by Middle East Pigeon Service pigeons in October
1943 11/18/18
The Pigeons That Went to War, “Far Up Front” 11/3/18
World War II
Pigeons, Imperial War Museum Photographs
11/3/18
World War II
Pigeoneers’ Stories 10/5/18
Middle East
Pigeon Service Film, 1942 9/26/18
Pigeons in World War II by Major W.H. Osman, photos and
letters 9/15/18
D-Day
Pigeons, 1944 8/28/18
Operation
Gibbon: Agent Ceysens’s first pigeon
message 7/27/18
Pigeons in
Italy: 21 HQ Section Carrier Pigeon
Reports, Sept.-Dec. 1944 7/14/18
2 way
communication between lofts, November,1944
11/22/17
Large number
of pigeons needed to keep pace with advance of 8th Army, 1944 11/16/17
Large number
of pigeons requested to be trained, July 1944
10/30/17
Special
Force No. 1 use of pigeons, June 1944
10/28/17
Middle
Eastern Pigeon Service in Palestine, Cyprus, and Iraq, 1942 10/18/17
21 HQ
Carrier Pigeon Service: number of
messages delivered and note on pigeons flying 200 miles, 10/8/17
Supply of
pigeons inadequate for Middle East, East and West Africa, 1943
9/30/17
Italians
request permission to train pigeons for the Allies at lofts in Rome, 1944 9/24/17
Pigeons
prove to be successful substitute for wireless, 14th Army, June
1944 9/16/1
21 Carrier
Pigeon Service, 1944 7/30/17
Note about
lofts in Aden, 1943 7/23/17
Report on
training and liberating pigeons in the slipstream, 1943 7/4/17
Middle
Eastern Pigeon Service Report February 1943
6/26/17
Plans for
D-Day 6/16/17
340 pigeons
dispatched to Indian Pigeon Service, 1944
6/8/17
Pigeons at
Malta lofts averaging 220 operational messages per week, July 1944 6/2/17
Pigeons at
Port Said, 1943 5/27/17
Pigeons
homing at night, January 1943 5/20/17
Report on
Indian Pigeon Service, July 1944
5/20/17
RAF pigeons
in Italy 1944 5/20/17
Report on
the rescue of the crew of the Baltimore, 1943
5/9/17
Report on
East Africa Pigeon Service, 1943 5/7/17
Middle East
Pigeon Service NOMAD pigeons, 1943
5/5/17 4/7/17
Indian
Pigeon Service Conference, 1944
4/27/17
Plans for
pigeons during Operation Overlord, 1944
4/21/17
Methods of
dropping pigeons for airborne operations, 1943
4/15/17
Pigeons in
Italy, 1944 4/7/17
Flights by
pigeons, 1944 4/1/17
Lofts to be
set up in Iraq, Aden, and East Africa; captured lofts to serve as invaluable
means of communication, 1943 3/29/17
Boomerang
2-way pigeon service training instructions, 1944 3/14/17
Plans to set
up pigeon service in Iraq, 1944 3/5/17
Pigeons to
carry film, 1944 3/3/17
1944 report
on use of pigeons in the Balkans and Italy
2/26/17
Pigeons were
primary means of communication for S.A.S., 1944 2/24/17
Report on
use of pigeons by 8th Army, 1944
2/15/17
Accomplishments
by RAF pigeons, 1942-44 2/15/17
Report on
Indian Pigeon Service, July 1944
2/4/17
Problems
faced by pigeons who flew as part of the D-Day invasion 1/28/17
Middle East
Pigeon Service War Diary September 1943
1/14/17
RAF
parachutists’ method for landing with pigeons, 1942 1/10/17
D-Day
pigeons flying abilities hampered by too many days in containers 1/3/17
Plan to set
up pigeon service in Greece, April 1944
12/27/16
Middle East
Pigeon Service Reports on pigeons, Mar-Apr 1944---establishment of 12-way link;
1500 pigeons sent to A.A.I 12/24/16
Report on
pigeons in Syria and Palestine, Nov. 1943
12/18/16
Captured
Italian pigeon lofts to be used by the Allies for communication 1943 12/14/16
Reorganization
of Middle East Pigeon Service July 1943---descriptions of loft
capabilities 12/8/16
Arrival of
1100 pigeons at Middle Eastern Pigeon Service HQ May 1943 12/4/16
Use of
pigeons in Syria and Palestine, 1944
11/24/16
Mediterranean
Pigeon Service reorganization, 1943
11/18/16
Pigeons
trained by Middle Eastern Pigeon Service to deliver messages from Cyprus to
caiques , 1943 11/11/16
1944 Report
on using pigeons to deliver messages in Sicily and Italy 11/2/16
Middle
Eastern Pigeon Service extricates more than 300 men from danger 1944 10/26/16
Use of
pigeons by British and Americans 1944
10/23/16
Microgram
Pigeon Service 1944 10/23/16
1943
Training Notes on 2-Way Pigeon Service
10/12/16
This is amazing, you have done an unbelievable research on this rare topic with all the documents and everything, you must be passionate about pigeons! I am totally impressed, well done.
ReplyDeleteReally enjoy this information as I have been conducting presentation on our Veterans Veteran Pigeoneers and their Pigeons at Country Fairs Museums Libraries Lions Clubs Pigeon Associations etc. Keep it coming I love and learn from this. thanks for your work. Congratualtions we have to keep this avai;able for many ..! Had prsentations for 3 days and some 600 students and teachers attended. Thanks Reagrads Bill
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