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.

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.

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:

http://www.britishpathe.com/video/a-pigeon-gets-a-medal/query/pigeon+medal

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.

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