Monday, September 26, 2016

Establishing pigeon lofts in Palestine, 1943.





(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK
WO169/11222  #3, #4, #6, #7, #20

These pages are from the War Diary for the Middle Eastern Pigeon Service from January and February 1943.





Thursday, September 22, 2016

Notes on training for Middle Eastern Pigeon Service, January 1943



(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK
Catalog numbers:  WO169/11222 #3, #8, #9, #10

These notes are from the 1943 War Diary for the Middle Eastern Pigeon Service.




Saturday, September 17, 2016

World War II pigeon saves lives of 1000 British troops


(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK
Catalog number WO204/3930  #40

Here is a link you can copy and paste to see the video from 1946 about GI Joe:


The file has a typo stating that GI Joe saved the lives of 100 troops.  He saved 1000, and the inhabitants of the town.  Peter Huntington’s and David Long’s books on the Dickin Medal winners, published in 2012, verify that 1000 troops were saved.


Thursday, September 1, 2016

Reports on use of pigeons in combat operations-Tunisia and Italy




The British Army in Italy 1945

Commando Signallers prepare to release a carrier pigeon, Lake Comacchio area, April 4, 1945
  
Imperial War Museum Collection; originally from War Office Second World War Official Collection

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK
Catalog numbers WO204/3930  # 34, #35, #36, #37, #38, #39