Anti-espionage measures against pigeons, Belgium 1944

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers WO208/3564 #001, WO208/3562 #015, #016

This is correspondence between J.L Kleyn, Captain, I.O. and Major Brian Melland, M.I. 14 (d) about restrictions on pigeons in 1944.

The enclosed report gives details on areas in which it was forbidden to keep pigeons and how 45,000 pigeons were evacuated from Belgian coastal towns.

D-Day--number of pigeons dropped to gather intelligence before D-Day, May 1944

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog number WO208/3556  #004

This report gives the numbers of pigeons dispatched in the month before D-Day as part of Operation Columba.  The British created Operation Columba to gather intelligence on the Germans in occupied France, Holland, and Belgium.  17,000 pigeons were dropped from British planes in baskets or boxes attached to small parachutes between 1941-45.   

The Imperial War Museum has interviews  with 2 men who flew on the pigeon drops. To hear Frank Griffiths on reel 2, click on this link: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80012005

To hear John Charrot on reel 2, click on this link:

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80027123

Gestapo drop agents disguised as Allied parachutists

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers WO208/3562 #06, WO208/3564 #35, #36, #37,  #38 

The intelligence about the Gestapo dropping agents disguised as Allied parachutists came in a message delivered by pigeon number 21670 from France on August 13, 1943.  The writer of this message also included intelligence on poison gas, munitions depots, troop movements, a radio listening in and guiding post for nightfighters, and comments about the content of BBC broadcasts.  The writer risked his life to send the message.  Under the German occupation, sending a message with a pigeon was a crime punishable by death.  You may need to scroll left right to read the message.

 

Himmler exercies considerable influence in German pigeon matters

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers WO208/3556 #13, #14, #15, #16 #11, #12, #20, #21

This is correspondence between Flight Lieutenant R.M. Walker of the British War Office and Major B. Melland of M.I.14, the division of intelligence which oversaw the use of pigeons.  It includes a report titled “General Notes on Pigeons.”  There is a response to the report from J.L. Kleyn, Captain, I. O.

The report discusses the use of pigeons for espionage behind enemy lines, the 2 way pigeon service, Himmler’s role in pigeon operations, and ways of sending a message with pigeons to avoid detection.  You may need to scroll left-right on some of the documents.  They exceed the frame for ease of reading.

Espionage with pigeons cited by WW2 Berlin telegraph

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers WO208/3564 #001, WO208/3562 #007

The telegraph documents Operation Columba.  The British dropped pigeons in small cages attached to small parachutes into occupied Europe.  Residents of France, Belgium, and Holland sent the pigeons back to Britain with messages containing intelligence about German military activities.  There is more information about Operation Columba in earlier posts. 

YOu may need to scroll left-right to see the entire telegraph.

 

Gestapo uses pigeons to trap Dutch

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers WO208/3562 #30, #31, #32

In this post are the newspaper clipping citing the German plot to use pigeons to trap the Dutch and the English language insertion in Vrij Nederland, the Dutch clandestine newspaper. 

The third document describes a meeting with the Dutch Intelligence Service.  It lists strategies proposed by the British to communicate to the Dutch which pigeons were truly British.  These strategies included using underground channels, the notice in Vrij Nederland warning the Dutch about the “Gestapo pigeons,” and an Orange broadcast on the BBC.  Orange broadcast is a reference to Radio Orange.  This was the broadcast on the BBC in Dutch, overseen by the Dutch government-in-exile, which was broadcast from London.  You may need to scroll left-right to read the Vrij Nederland insertion.The typing on the third document is a bit faint.

The Illustrated London News post-war article about intelligence delivered by pigeons

 

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers WO208/3564 #001, WO208/3562 #003

1943 British correspondence reveals use of pigeons in Operation Cockade

(c) Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of The National Archives, London, UK

Catalog numbers: CAB154 #35001, #35002, #35003, #35004, #35005, #35006, #35012, #35013

British War Office and War Cabinet correspondence from 1943 points to the use of pigeons to drop questionnaires written to fool the Germans and the local population about where subsequent Allied military operations would take place.

This was just one component of Operation Cockade.  Here is a link to an explanation of Operation Cockade:

http://military.wikia.com/wiki/Operation_Cockade

Pigeons had been dropped with questionnaires into occupied Europe by the British since 1941.  This was Operation Columba.  Residents of occupied Europe sent the pigeons back to Britain with intelligence about the Germans.  There is more information about Operation Columba in an earlier post “The Brave Message Writers of Occupied Europe-WW2.”

What you can see from this correspondence is that the questionnaires dropped with the pigeons into certain regions were rewritten as part of the deception plan which was Operation Cockade.

Note above the handwritten reference to the the Special Operations Executive (S.O.E).