Palisadian., 1923-03-09
PIGEONS REAL
HEROES OF AIR
Some Day Story Of Their Part in
Winning War VIII Be Written.
AN IMPORTANT UNIT IN ARMY

AN IMPORTANT UNIT IN ARMY
Feathered Couriers Brased Shot and
Shell to Carry Messages-Work Of
American Pigeons in Battle Of
Araonne Was Nothing Short Of
Marvelous-No Soldier Ever Died
More oailantly Than Did osmun,
Full -BIooded Homing Pigeon.
Some day an army officer who can
write will sit down and record the
history of the part that the homing
pigeon played In the winning of the
great war. In the files of the signal
corps Of the regular army the records
of these feathered couriers that
braved shot and shell as well as any
man have been preserved, says the
New York Times. 1t Is story Of
an army Of winged messengers every
member Of which was loyal. A pigeon
never deserted. 1t may have been
captured or wounded or killed, but,
whatever happened, the records will
show that the bird was headed for
brigade, divisional, corps or general
headquarters, bearing message that
was always of military Importance.
Osmun arrived In a dying condition.
his message dangling from battered
leg. And the case Of Osmun was but
one of many heroic instances.
To-day the pigeon division is an i'm
portant unit in every well-organlzed
army and navy. So far as the Amer
leans were concerned the pigeon was
at the peak of its efficiency in the
Meuse-Argonne struggle.
The work of American pigeons in
the battle of the Argonne was nothing
short Of marvellous. The division Of
pigeons that operated between the
front line and headquarters in that
battle numbered 442 picked birds, and
of the total some fifty-odd gave their
lives in the performance of their mis-
sions. Altogether 403 important mes
sages from the trenches. the artillery
stations and the communication units
were delivered to division. corps anal
general headquarters by this brigade
of feathered couriers.
gonne offensive the work of one bird
stands out pre-eminent. This bird,
full-blooded homing pigeon, was. Os-
mum. No soldier ever died more gal
Iantly.
1t was the afternoon of October 81,
1918. The Argonne fighting was at its
peak. At 2 40 p. m. the commander
of the American units at Grand Pre-
Informed the pigeon unit that he had
an important message for headquar-
ters. The official records state that
Grand Pre- was then under ''intense
machine gun and artillery fire." The
message delivered to the officer in
charge of the pigeons was addressed
to the commanding officer at Ram
pont, about twenty miles from Grand
Pre-. The weather conditions could
hardly have been worse.
Osmun at 2:35 p m. began the
flight. and 25 minutes later landed
wounded and dying near the Rampont
Headquarters. He had covered the
distance at speed of almost a mile
a minute. When he was picked up
examination disclosed that his breast
had been pierced by a machine gun
bullet and the right leg, to which was
attached the capsule bearing the mes
sage, had been almost shot away. The
message was still there
No. 4O84 Credit to Army.
Another hero wounded in action was
No. 4O84. This bird was one of the
champion speeders of the service. He
had headquarters at Boucy. In the
latter part of October, 1918, this
pigeon was entrusted with an impor-
tant message for delivery at corps
headquarters. In a driving rain he
began the flight. Passing through
machine gun zone a bullet grazed his
head, destroying the right eye. The
work of the homing pigeon is primar-
lily matter of almost perfect vision.
Despite the loss of his eye, No. 1854
continued, and within less than an
hour WIS in the hands of the corps
commander. The pigeon lived for "a
year after that and his picture Is In
the official records Of the War depart
ment
Still another American hero was
known as No. 1891. This little aerial
courier was blue homing hen. On
November 9. Ave days before the armi-
stice, the American forces captured
Hill 2S7. 1t was necessary promptly
to acquaint headquarters of the Third
Army corps. The pigeon set flight
from the front line. The battle was
raging at the time and the first part
of machine gun and rifle fire and
bursting shells. At express speed the
bird headed straight for headquarters.
The message was delivered and the
corps commander, taking into consid-
Grafton the changed situation, revised
his battle plans accordingly pie
ture of No 1891 with the message
capsule made fast to her leg Is anoth-
er Of the Photographic treasures Of
the United States army
Story after story might be, related
of the battle work of the American
army pigeons In the World war. These
three Incidents, however, Indicate how
hazardous and efficient was their
duty.
The pigeons first went into action
August-September, 1918. Seventy-two
hfrdc Sarvod no hattie mpSSpnpar9 I'm