British Intelligence Services and use of pigeons in World War II

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

Catalog numbers AIR2/4129 #184, #241, #242

Below is the minute sheet for the correspondence from November and December 1940  between W.D.L. Rayner, Squadron Leader,  Signals 1 (d) and Squadron Leader Sofiano at A.I. 1 ( c ).  A.I. 1 ( c ) was the Air Intelligence component of M.I.6, the Secret Intelligence Service.  Rayner advocated for having one person oversee the use of pigeons to collect intelligence by all branches of the Intelligence Services.  That person was F. Cruikshank, the pigeon expert appointed to M.I.5.

At the top is an Issue and Receipt Voucher from 1942 for some of the equipment needed to use the pigeons.