Animals and war - The British Library Copyright: © Koninklijke Bibliotheek van België (Bibliotheque Royale de Belgique) Beasts of burden The extent of the logistical apparatus that made the war feasible is almost impossible to imagine. Today, hundreds of tons of armaments remain to be discovered under the former battlefields of Belgium and France. The numbers and weights involved are vast: during the Battle of Verdun, for example, some 32 million shells were fired, while the British barrage preceding the Battle of the Somme fired some 1.5 million shells (in total, nearly 250 million shells were used by the British army and navy during the war). Railways, trucks and ships transported these munitions for much of their journey, but they also relied on hundreds of thousands of horses, donkeys, oxen and even camels or dogs for their transport. Field guns were pulled into position by teams of six to 12 horses, and the dead and wounded carted away in horse-drawn ambulances. The millions of men at the Front and behind the lines also had to be fed and supplied with equipment, much of which was again hauled by four-legged beasts of burden.

Because of the deep mud and craters at the front, much of this could only be carried by mules or horses. Even the British army, which could boast that it was the most mechanised of the belligerent forces, relied largely on horse power for its transport, much of it organised by the Army Service Corps: by November 1918, the British army had almost 500,000 horses, which helped to distribute 34,000 tons of meat and 45,000 tons of bread each month. The animals themselves needed feeding and watering, and British horses had to carry some 16,000 tons of forage each month. In total, perhaps six million horses were engaged by all sides. Looking after these animals were specially trained soldiers, who knew how to care for such beasts from their jobs before the war, and who were also trained in modern methods of animal husbandry (although the level of training varied from army to army). Dead horses Free from known copyright restrictions Supply of horses and other animals Without the millions of horses, mules and donkeys serving on the various fronts, the war of attrition would have been impossible.

Losses through exhaustion, disease (such as infection from the tsetse fly in East Africa), starvation and enemy action were high. 120,000 horses were treated in British veterinary hospitals in one year, many of which were field hospitals. The resupply of horses and other animals was a major concern for the leadership of all sides. At the outbreak of the war, Britain’s horse population stood at under 25,000, and so it turned to the United States (which supplied around a million horses during the war), Canada and Argentina. Germany had prepared for war with an extensive breeding and registration programme, and at the start of the war had a ratio of one horse to every three men. However, while the Allies could import horses from America, the Central Powers could only replace their losses by conquest, and requisitioned many thousands from Belgium, from invaded French territory and from the Ukraine. The difficulty of replacing horses arguably contributed to the eventual defeat of the Central Powers. An Indian Cavalry horse hospital in a French factory [Estrée Blanche] An Indian Cavalry horse hospital in France, July 1915.

Copyright: © Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen’s Printer for Scotland Cavalry and fighting animals Despite the machine gun, barbed wire and trenches (or thick bushes in the Levant), cavalry proved to be remarkably effective during the conflict where mobile fighting could take place. Cavalry saw considerable action at Mons, and Russian cavalry penetrated deep into Germany during the early phases of the war. Cavalry were still occasionally used in their traditional role as shock troops even later in the war. Cavalry were effective in Palestine, although were obstructed by thick bushes as much as by barbed wire. Cavalrymen from Britain and her colonies were trained to fight both on foot and mounted, which perhaps accounts for horses’ more frequent use by these armies than by other European forces during the conflict. But most military tacticians had already recognised that the importance of mounted soldiers had waned in the age of mechanised war, a shift that had already become apparent in the American Civil War. Where cavalry regiments were maintained on the Western Front, many considered them a drain on men and resources, and futile in the face of machine guns.

This was despite the esteem in which such regiments were still held in the traditional military mind, and the public popularity of the image of the dashing cavalryman. Photograph of Woman in the Russian cavalry (savage division) Female member of the Russian savage division, part of the Russian imperial guard, July 1917. Free from known copyright restrictions Communications As well as acting as beasts of burden or participants in the fighting, animals also played a vital role in communication. Trained dogs were used to carry messages from the front lines, especially by the German forces, and both sides made particularly heavy use of pigeons. Trained birds, which could fly at 40kph or faster, relayed messages back from the front lines to headquarters, often more reliably or securely than telecommunications or radio. Naval ships, submarines and military aeroplanes routinely carried several pigeons to deploy in case of sinking or a crash landing. Mobile homing pigeon units acted as communication hubs, and in Britain pigeon fanciers assisted in breeding and training for the war effort. The French deployed some 72 pigeon lofts.

Pigeons also captured the popular imagination, with one American bird, ‘Cher Ami’, awarded a French medal for her service within the American sector near the town of Verdun. On her last mission she successfully carried her message, despite being shot through the chest, and purportedly saved the lives of 194 American soldiers with her news. Pigeon Service Manual Free from known copyright restrictions Mascots Animals also served important psychological functions during war. The military had long had a close association with animals, either as symbols of courage (such as lions), or through the image of the warrior and his horse. Similarly, the enemy could be depicted as an enraged beast, as Allied propaganda presented the German war machine. The Central Powers revelled in depicting the British Empire as a duplicitous, colonising ‘octopus’, an image that was in turn used against them by the French. Regiments and other military groups often used animals as their symbol, emphasising ferocity and bravery, and also adopted mascots, both as a means of helping to forge comradeship and to keep up morale.

A Canadian battalion even brought a black bear with them to Europe, which was given to London Zoo, where the creature inspired the fictional character of Winnie the Pooh. There are many stories of the close relationship between men and their animals, whether bringing a reminder of a more peaceful life at home on the farm or as a source of companionship in the face of the inhumanity of man. It is claimed that communications dogs were of little use among British soldiers, as they were petted too much and given too many rations from men in the trenches. Close proximity also brought dangers to men at the front. Manure brought disease, as did the rotting bodies of dead horses and mules that could not be removed from the mud or no-man’s-land. Propaganda map: the war is the national industry of Prussia Propaganda map using imagery of an octopus to demonstrate the threat of Prussian ambitions. Free from known copyright restrictions Behind the lines Animals at home also suffered. Many in Britain were killed in an invasion scare, and food shortages elsewhere led to starvation and death.

Lack of horses and other beasts of burden sometimes led to the ingenious use of circus or zoo animals, such as Lizzie the elephant, who did war service for the factories of Sheffield. In 1912, the Our Dumb Friends League created The Blue Cross Fund for the aid of animals in wartime, particularly horses, and continued to fundraise during the war. The RSPCA provided veterinary hospitals in France, which treated over 700,000 animals. Memorials Such organisations also raised funds to erect memorials to animals, particularly those whose efforts had been anthropomorphised into feats of courage and bravery. The RSPCA dispensary in Kilburn possesses a plague commemorating the ‘deaths by enemy action, disease or accident of 484,143 horses mules, camels and bullocks and of many hundreds of dogs, carrier pigeons and other creatures, on the various fronts during the Great War.’ Since 2004, The Animals Memorial has stood at Brook Gate, Hyde Park, London. In 1929, the Colombophiles of France raised a memorial at the Fort of Verdun to pigeon number 785-15.

Under fierce attack from poison gas and shells during the desperate defence of this great symbol of France during seven days in June 1916, the bird managed to carry a vital message from the Commandant, which concluded with the desperate words: ‘this is my last pigeon’. Written by Matthew Shaw is a curator in the European and Americas team at the British Library. He has published on the Revolutionary Era, and was lead curator of Taking Liberties: the struggle for Britain’s freedoms and rights (2008-09). The text in this article is available under the Creative Commons License. See also Army Pigeons in World War I | Military History Forum Army Pigeons in World War I liverpool annie New Member ( Well it is flying .... isn't it ?? ) Over 200,000 carrier or homing pigeons were used by the Allied forces during World War I and II in order to conduct surveillance and relay messages to the front. U.S. Army The U.S. Army used specially trained homing pigeons to carry messages during WWI and WWII. They were considered an undetectable method of communication. Fort Monmouth, New Jersey was the home of the U.S.

Army Pigeon Breeding and Training Center from 1917 until 1957. A small capsule would be placed around the leg of the pigeon and a paper message was put into the capsule. The bird would be released to fly to its home loft with the message. Pigeons have been known to fly hundreds of miles in a day with a mile a minute being the average speed. Military historians claim that over 90% of all messages sent by the US Army using pigeons were received. Pigeons were also used to carry maps, photographs and cameras. The birds are credited with saving thousands of lives. The U.S. Army discontinued using pigeons as message carriers in 1957 due to more modern and faster transmission methods. British Army During World War I the British Army had a unit called the Carrier Pigeon Service (CPS) which was led by Lt. Col. A.H. Osman. Carrier pigeons were used by the Brits during the Second Battle of Ypres in May of 1915. The Carrier-Pigeon Service was only used when telegraph and telephone communications failed and was soon overtaken by the development of Wireless Telegraphy (i.e.

Radio), further limiting their usage; hence, they were only used for emergency or espionage purposes. The avian unit saw further success at the Battle of the Somme and at Verdun, often against screens of poisonous gas and heavy shelling from the opposition. During the D-Day invasion of World War II, many soldiers were sent with a pigeon beneath their coats. This was a period of radio silence, so the use of pigeons for relaying messages was optimal. The pigeons were able to send back information on German gun positions on the Normandy beaches. Thirty-two pigeons were awarded the prestigious Dickin medal, Britiain's highest award for animal valor. Recipients included a bird named "G.I. Joe," who flew 20 miles in 20 minutes with a message that stopped U.S. planes from bombing an Italian town that was occupied by British forces. Australian Army The Australian Army made extensive use of pigeons in WWII in New Guinea and the islands. Surrounded by rugged terrain and unusual atmospherics, wireless communications often failed. Bert Cornish was the Aussie behind their pigeon forces. Some 13,500 birds were used in the Pacific Theater by the Australian Army.

They awarded two Dickin medals to pigeons that aided them in the war. liverpool annie New Member Carrier Pigeons on Land and Sea Illustrated with images of maimed and disfigured carrier pigeons - this article is filled with interesting lore of the battles waged by the 'feathered aviators' of the 1914 - 1918 war. You will read about how the pigeons were often dyed black so as to be mistaken for crows - how they were used at sea and at Verdun and that spies relied upon them. "Pigeons are not new to war. It is on record that the Romans and Greeks used them and that Hannibal carried a cote crossing the Alps in order to send word back to Carthage of his progress ... it was a pigeon which first announced to an anxious London the victory at Waterloo." World War I in Photos: Animals at War - The Atlantic The Atlantic 45 Photos In Focus When the war began, Europe's armies had an understanding of warfare that put the use of cavalry in high regard. Soon, however, the deadly terrain that evolved around trench warfare rendered cavalry attacks nearly useless on the Western Front.

But the need for constant resupply, movement of new heavy weaponry, and the transport of troops demanded horse power on a massive scale -- automobiles, tractors, and trucks were relatively new inventions and somewhat rare. British and French forces imported horses from colonies and allies around the world, a near-constant flow of hundreds of thousands of animals across the oceans, headed for war. One estimate places the number of horses killed during the four years of warfare at nearly 8 million. Other animals proved their usefulness as well: Dogs became messengers, sentries, rescuers, and small beasts of burden. Pigeons acted as messenger carriers, and even (experimentally) as aerial reconnaissance platforms. Mules and camels were drafted into use in various war theatres, and many soldiers brought along mascots to help boost morale. Only a couple of decades later, at the onset of World War II, most military tasks assigned to animals were done by machines, and warfare would never again rely so heavily on animal power. I've gathered photographs of the Great War from dozens of collections, some digitized for the first time, to try to tell the story of the conflict, those caught up in it, and how much it affected the world.

This entry is part 4 of a 10-part series on World War I . Animals during Wartime - First World War American Civil War Animals during Wartime A doomed plot to train sea lions to track German U-boats during World War One is highlighted in a new e-book published by the BBC. (bbc.com) World War One: Circus animals like elephants helped Britain As World War One raged, the military purchased most of England's horses and sent them to the Western Front. Many farmers and traders had to find alternative beasts of burden, but none more exotic than elephants. On the cobbled streets of industrial Sheffield an Indian elephant dutifully lumbered along. Her task was important - she had to cart munitions, machines and scrap metal around the city, a job previously done by three horses. Lizzie - as she was known - was used to performing tricks as part of a travelling menagerie. But with the outbreak of WW1 she was conscripted to help with heavy labour, fitted with a harness and sent to work at a scrap metal merchants.

(bbc.co.uk) Sergeant George Thompson refused to put faithful mount down and kept him in secret stable Sergeant George Thompson and his faithful charge braved hellish conditions for real in the First World War. Decorated hero Sgt Thompson even defiantly disobeyed orders to shoot his horse when it became sick, instead building a secret stable and nursing it back to health. In diary extracts revealed for the first time, Sgt Thompson writes of his close bond to the horse which he cared for throughout the Great War. However, his relationship with the horse did not begin well: The horse used to kick and bite him every time he went for a drink. (dailymail.co.uk) The Blue Cross opens First World War horse archive (photos and posters). (bbc.co.uk) WWI animals get their due in an exhibition at Belgium's Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History The First World War wasn't just history's first industrial slaughter: It was the last gasp of a pre-industrial age when the dogs of war were just as critical to the outcome as the men who commanded them.

The dogs, pigeons, horses, mules, chickens, cows, even maggots of the war-to-end-all-wars get their due in an exhibition at Belgium's Royal Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels. "HELP THE WAR HORSES: R.S.P.C.A. FUND FOR SICK AND WOUNDED HORSES" calls out a poster, a tribute to the 8 million horses which died 1914-1918. Carrier pigeons played an important role, often the only means of communication from the frontlines to distant headquarters. (bloomberg.com) Dogs of war -exhibit explores animals in the First World War Loyalty is a defining trait for Dobermans, but for a hungry war dog, food is a good enough lure to break ranks. Australian troops were victorious when Roff the German messenger dog was lured to cross the trenches by the prospect of food. He became a trophy for the soldiers, and is now stuffed and mounted in a new exhibition at the Australian War Memorial about the role animals have in war. Other animals involved in war included carrier pigeons, camels for transport and kangaroos smuggled out by servicemen as a reminder of home.

A black and white photo shows an Aussie soldier playing with a kangaroo in Cairo, against a backdrop of pyramids. (canberratimes.com.au) The mighty Warrior: One of military history's last cavalry charges General Jack Seely and his horse Warrior lad one of the last great cavalry charges in military history - at Moreuil Wood, on the banks of the Avre river. Victory would secure the river bank and help halt the German Spring Offensive of 1918. Behind Warrior were the 1,000 horses of the Canadian Cavalry. In the 10 days since the German breakthrough against the 5th Army, they had trekked a 120 mile to get round the spearhead of the German advance. Legend has it that General Jack Seely later recommended Warrior for the Victoria Cross medal with the simple citation: "He went everywhere I went." (telegraph) A million horses were sent to fight in the Great War: 62000 came back A great horse rears amid the boom of bombardment; careers in terror from the path of an advancing battle tank; struggles to free itself from treacherous swirls of barbed wire...

Images of man's exploitation of animals carried to extremity amid the horrors of World War I. It was bold to set out to depict such scenes on a London stage. But the National Theatre is enjoying a triumph with its production of Michael Morpurgo's War Horse. We know that WWI killed some 10 million fighting men. Much less known is the fate of a million horses, sent to France 1914-1918. Only 62,000 returned. (dailymail) Heartfelt letter saved pony from the First World War call-up (Article no longer available from the original source) Touching correspondence between a Wigan schoolgirl Freda Hewlett and Secretary of State Lord Kitchener over the fate of her beloved pony have surfaced 93 years later at a major exhibition "The Animals' War" at the Imperial War Museum North. She wrote begging him not to call up her 17yo pony Betty for active duty at the outbreak of WW1 in 1914.

She appeals to Kitchener's softer side, pointing out that the pony is in foal, and her family have already given 2 horses to the Army while 3 family members have responded to "Your Country Needs You" poster. His secretary replied to reassure Freda that there was no danger of Betty being needed, not least because she was too small. (wigantoday) In pictures: The Animals' War on show at the at Imperial War Museum The Animals' War is currently on show at the at Imperial War Museum North. Some photographs: A German messenger dog leaps a trench on the Western Front in 1916. --- During World War I pigeons were frequently used to carry messages from tanks. (bbc) Has a cat ever received military honors? (Article no longer available from the original source) Cats have done their share of soldiering through history. Persians took cats into battle against the Egyptians because Egyptians considered them sacred. According to The People a cat named Charlie was cited as the last official cat at the Chatham Dockyard's Royal Navy Base. Run over in 1981, Charlie was buried with full military honors.

In World War I, the British unleashed more than 500 felines to the front lines to sniff out lethal gases. Mourka, a Soviet cat, carried messages in 1942 during the siege of Stalingrad. (azstarnet) Indian army: first and only cavalry charge of the Somme battle As the Battle of the Somme is marked, the Indian army also has good reason for remembrance. Two Indian regiments took part in the first and only cavalry charge of the battle but were forced to retreat under heavy fire. "This probably reinforced the increasing realisation among British generals that cavalry charges using horses were a thing of the past," says Imperial War Museum historian Nigel Steel. The cavalry charge on 14 July was conducted by two regiments, the 20th Deccan Horse and the British Seventh Dragoon Guards, who were supported by another Indian regiment, the 34th Poona Horse. (bbc) British War Dogs In The Great War Lt.-Col. E.H. Richardson who ran the War Dog Training School was mainly responsible for the appearance of messenger dogs in the British Army in WW1.

Originally the idea to use dogs came from the Red Cross who wanted to use ambulance dogs, but this idea was deemed unsuccessful as early as the battle of Antwerp, the French banned the use of ambulance dogs within a few weeks of the war beginning. Lt-Col Richardson then started training sentry and patrol dogs around about autumn 1914 and found the Airedale to be well suited for this task. In the winter of 1916 he trained and supplied two Airedales (Wolf and Prince) for use as message carriers, they both served with success. (freespace) War memorial for all brave creatures great and small (Article no longer available from the original source) Eight million horses are believed to have died in the First World War, most from exposure, disease or starvation while carrying men, ammunition and equipment. From mighty stallions killed by bullets or starvation to tiny glow worms that lit up the trenches, all were finally honoured with a memorial dedicated to all creatures, great and small, who served in time of war. In Park Lane the Princess Royal unveiled the first permanent tribute to the horses, dogs, pigeons, elephants and others on whose skills the British have depended in times of conflict.

(indielondon.co.uk) Pigeons During the Two World Wars During World War I some actions were undertaken after forces were informed by photos taken by military pigeons. German forces took possession of more than one million Belgian race pigeons. Airplanes and war-ships were always accompanied by racing pigeons. Military pigeons brought 717 tidings of crashed airplanes at sea. 95% of the military pigeons returned from their mission. Many birds were badly injured. Cher Ami reached his loft although he was wounded very badly. He saved 194 lives of the "Lost Battalion". (pigeonclubsusa) The Use of Animals During World War One | Pictures of World War I Pictures of World War I Pictures of World War I > Transportation > Animals Animals Prior to the outbreak of WW1 in 1914 the use of animals for combat (ie. the cavalry horse) upon which the fighting soldier rode into battle, was as important as the use of horses for transportation. With the advancement of warfare technology and the mechanization of armies worldwide the use of animals in combat situations became less appropriate.

By the end of the First Word War in 1918 the primary employment of animals, by all the armies, was for transportation, communication and a variety of other support needs. Animal Logistics in World War 1 WW1 took place on two major fronts in the East and West of Europe and in the Middle East, North Africa and many colonies Worldwide. This meant that it was necessary to transport the animals to where they were required to be, along with their handlers and the fighting men. In 1914 the Russians had thirty six cavalry divisions which they transported by train into positions along the 1,000 miles of the Eastern front. Thus the animals themselves required transport. In 1917, the Australian Cavalry were shipped halfway around the World! The logistics of the supply needs (for the animals had to be fed and watered) brought into play their own problems which the armies dealt with as the war progressed. The Germans bred and acquired animals prior to the start of the war and then also took animal ‘prisoners’ after gaining territory. The British and Americans bought horse and livestock form their own peoples and press-ganged draught animals into service.

They were then trained and shipped to the fronts or where ever it was that they were needed. The numbers of animals used by all the fighting forces during the Great War was phenomenal – in the millions! There were pigeons used to carry messages in Europe and camel cavalry [on both sides] carried men and supplies in the desert regions. Mules, oxen, reindeer and dogs pulled wagons and sleighs where the terrain permitted. The care and maintenance of all these animals was essential. As the war progressed farms were maintained by the armies. These farms housed livestock, grew and harvested food. Also it was necessary to feed the armies.Thus flocks of sheep were kept as “camp followers” that moved behind the fronts and provided mutton for the men. Bully Beef, cattle raised in the USA and Canada, was shipped in cans to the troops in Europe. WWI Injured Animals Huge numbers of animals were being killed and injured. After all animals were just as susceptible to the effects of mustard gas and shells as were men, animals also have illnesses and suffered from shell shock.

It was in order to deal with some of these horrors of warfare that the British Blue Cross volunteer society performed the same services for the animals of war that the Red Cross did for the human casualties. Veterinarians were an integral part of the Allies and the Central Forces. The British army had the Royal Veterinary Corps serving throughout the war zones. And The Ending The Animals In War Memorial - Brook Gate, Park Lane, London, England Animal hospitals were set up where they were needed and by the end of the war there were six in the west of France alone. After the war the Australians sold most of their surviving horses to the British who moved them to their cavalry units in India. The Americans were able to sell some of the surviving horses back to their original owners. The Animals in War memorial in London is a powerful tribute to all the animals that served, suffered and died alongside the British, Commonwealth and Allied forces in the wars and conflicts of the 20th century. Spanning nearly 60 feet wide and deep on two levels, it’s a a stunning visual monument sculpted by artist David Backhouse. It was presented to the world on the 90th anniversary of the Great War in 2004.

… A fitting tribute to the horses, camels, dogs, oxen, birds, and even worms and more who helped and sacrificed in the war effort. Search for: Pigeons of War - America in WWII magazine Pigeons of War In fierce fighting and deep in enemy territory, American pigeons carried life-or-death messages that radio and field phones could not. By Joe Razes The company of Nepali Gurkhas and the British troops with them were trapped on Hangman’s Hill. They had fought their way onto the huge outcropping on Monte Cassino, southeast of Rome, during the fierce battle there in early 1944, only to be pinned down by withering German fire. Stuck for nine days, they had no means of communication with their lines below. American bombers dropped food and water to them, but much of it fell into German hands. Finally, three British volunteers set out toward the trapped men by three different routes. Each carried a haversack with an American homing pigeon inside. One man got pinned down by machine gun spray, but the other two penetrated German lines and reached their destination. All three men scribbled short messages about the routes they had taken and sent them off to headquarters by pigeon.

That night, Allied guns opened fire to clear an escape route along the safe paths the scouts had identified, and the trapped soldiers slipped away to safety. The pigeons, meanwhile, rested safely in their loft. Sending messages with homing pigeons is one of the oldest methods of long-distance communication. The earliest documented use of pigeons by an army was by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago. During World War I, both sides routinely used homing pigeons as couriers. At the urging of General of the Armies John Pershing, the US Army Signal Corps established a pigeon service in 1917. Communications improved considerably between World Wars I and II, but pigeons were still used throughout World War II as supplemental and emergency means of communication. Their duties varied depending on the branch of service. But wherever the army, navy, coast guard, or marines went, pigeons likely went, too—some bearing colorful names such as Lady Astor, Pepperhead, or Holy Ghost, and others known only by a number.

Taken across enemy lines by patrols in pursuit of valuable information, they returned with news on the location and strength of enemy troops, gun positions, pending attacks, traffic conditions, and other vital data. Pigeons were the only means of communication for some advanced observation posts where terrain or proximity to enemy lines made it impossible to string wire or use a radio. Carried in baskets, in a sling under the arm, or in a patrol member’s shirtfront, the birds were released under fire, and most succeeded in getting through. A pigeon toted its message in a tiny capsule fastened to one leg until handlers started attaching a larger capsule, the size of a cigar tube, to the pigeon’s back; this could carry a bigger load, perhaps including maps, photos, and detailed reports. Very few messages—less than one percent—were coded, because pigeons were so dependable at reaching their destinations. By the time the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US Army had already expanded its communications operation. The Signal Corps recruited experienced wire specialists from the telephone industry, cameramen from the motion picture industry—and pigeon handlers from pigeon fanciers’ associations nationwide.

By February 1941, incoming GIs could report any experience they had handling pigeons and possibly get an assignment in that field. Meanwhile, the military conducted a census of racing pigeon lofts and asked owners to register their lofts for possible military use. Congress debated a law prohibiting hunters from shooting pigeons. On January 9, 1942, the Signal Corps issued a call to civilian pigeon fanciers for young, healthy birds of both genders. The army offered to purchase birds for five dollars each—half the average market price—but hoped to receive them as gifts or on loan. The American Racing Pigeon Union and the International Federation of American Homing Pigeon Fanciers lent their aid to the drive. The press devoted countless column inches to the effort. The article “Cheer Up, Men, Birds Also May Be Drafted” in the January 6, 1941, Brooklyn Eagle was typical of the light-hearted but informative articles that appeared throughout the country. There were also stories covering patriotic acts of local pigeon organizations and individual fanciers who donated their best birds. Pigeon clubs responded overwhelmingly to the call. Fanciers contributed the offspring of champions and sometimes even the champions themselves.

Some of these prize-winning birds had won races that covered more than 600 miles in a day. Donated birds arrived by the thousands; one shipment from New York City consisted of 52,000. In 1943 the army procured a number of pigeons from Elroy Hanacek in Cleveland, Ohio, and transported them 800 miles to Camp Crowder, Missouri. A few days later, one pigeon, named Blackie, returned home through a raging snowstorm. Hanacek decided to keep that one. At the other end of the spectrum was a bird called African Owl, which was shipped to the front lines. One of the men the GIs called “pigeoneers” commented that African Owl had come along just for the ride—he couldn’t find his way around inside the loft much less over the countryside. By October 1943 the Signal Corps had enough pigeons to sustain its own breeding program. All homing pigeons share the blue rock pigeon, or rock dove (Columba livia), as their common ancestor, but the modern homing pigeon was the product of generations of careful breeding and training.

The pigeon service would further that legacy at breeding bases at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Fort Benning, Georgia, and Camp Crowder, Missouri. The goal was to crossbreed the fastest, strongest animals with the best homing instincts, to produce even faster and stronger animals that could return home from ever greater distances. While a World War I pigeon could fly about 200 miles in one flight, the World War II birds could easily double that distance, and some could travel 600 miles. Over short distances these birds could approach 60 miles per hour, though 35 to 40 miles was a more typical average cruising speed. Flying is strenuous, and on a long flight, a bird could lose 2 or 3 ounces—about a fifth of its 13 to 15 ounces of body weight. For this reason, younger birds, one to four years old, were used. Training a reliable messenger took about eight weeks from the time a bird hatched. The chick was taken from the nest at the age of about four weeks and placed in a mobile loft. For the next two to three weeks, the loft was moved daily.

The bird flew short flights morning, noon, and evening for several days so it could memorize its aerial bearings. By the eighth week, when the bird had built enough stamina to fly for an hour, it was trained to fly 50 to 60 miles, and then farther. Then it was considered ready to carry messages in combat. At the front, handlers used a few tricks to push the pigeons to make speedier flights. One was to withhold food until they returned. Hunger proved to be a powerful motivator, but jealousy and sex were even better. When a male pigeon saw his mate with another male that was introduced into the loft shortly before he left on a flight, his return was guaranteed to be faster. Housing for pigeons at the front consisted of quarter-ton mobile combat lofts that could be moved quickly, usually by a Jeep. Air bases and less mobile operations used larger trailer lofts like those used by civilian pigeon-keepers. The pigeon service was an instant success. The British Royal Air Force determined that one in every seven of its crewmen who were rescued after being forced down at sea owed his life to a message sent by pigeon. Hearing this evidence, the US Army Air Forces expanded their pigeon communication capability.

For certain operations, pigeons were standard aboard American bombers. As the war progressed, the army decided it needed to utilize pigeon communication more in its airborne operations. It had a special vest developed—a sling-like contraption, made by a brassiere company—that enabled a paratrooper to carry a pigeon on his chest or side. On the ground, the paratrooper could adjust the vest to carry the pigeon on his back. The first paratrooper pigeon was a male named Thunderbird. He also was the first pigeon to make 10 jumps from a plane, and he received a pair of miniature wings from Colonel James Coutts at the Fort Benning parachute school. Later, the army developed a special cage and parachute for dropping pigeons from aircraft to supply isolated troops with a means of communication. The device was also used to drop thousands of pigeons over the countryside during the June 1944 Normandy Invasion. French civilians were asked to send back detailed information about German installations and troop movements. B-17 bomber crews found that, although they had to wear oxygen masks and heated suits at 20,000 feet, pigeons needed no special equipment.

Even at 35,000 feet, with the temperature at 45 degrees below zero, the birds just sat there, eyes half shut, feathers fluffed against the cold. Special drop boxes had been designed to protect the bird’s wings from being ripped off when they were released from an airplane and entered the slipstream. They opened at a predetermined altitude. But pigeon handlers soon learned the pigeons could be released from high altitudes at speeds of 375 mph with no more protection than an ordinary paper grocery bag. A bag was slit down the side and the pigeon put in headfirst, with the bag neatly folded around it. A handler held the bag so it looked, as one observer put it, like “a couple of pounds of pork chops fresh from the butcher” and dropped it into the slipstream. Soon the bag fluttered open and the bird emerged, spreading its wings and spiraling down to a more comfortable altitude before flying for home. One problem with pigeons in combat zones was that a constant supply of new birds had to be available to replace old ones. Once a pigeon loft at the front had been moved two or three times, the birds became confused.

A pigeon might return to one of the previous locations before finally finding its way to the current one, delaying delivery of its message. So, veteran birds were retired and used for breeding. Some pigeons ended up POWs—at least temporarily. In the winter of 1944, the operatically named Lucia di Lammermoor was carried to a forward position. Released with important information, she got delayed in flight. That night she returned with a new message: To the American Troops: Herewith we return a pigeon to you. We have enough to eat. —The German Troops Other pigeons went missing in action permanently, lost to hawks, severe weather, or power lines, or scared away by exploding artillery and shrapnel. Some German and Japanese soldiers were issued shotguns expressly to shoot down carrier pigeons. “Friendly” fire claimed its share of birds. In Italy in June 1944, 92 of Fifth Army Corporal Jimmy Ginnell’s birds were flying high and fast while he cleaned out their loft. Suddenly, 12 enemy aircraft came overhead and American anti-aircraft fire filled the sky.

“I saw 8 to 10 of my birds get hit in the air by fragments, then spiral and zigzag earthward like sheets of paper…,” Ginnell reported. “Only 42 pigeons returned when the show was over. A few wounded ones straggled in the next morning. It was a sad occasion when I buried those pigeons side by side, like good soldiers they had been. Later I patched up the wounded ones that got in.” Dark-feathered Blackie Harrington was assigned to a unit on Guadalcanal near a place known as the Catcher’s Mitt because so many bombs fell there. The 164th Infantry Division sent Blackie to headquarters with a message detailing the position of 300 Japanese troops. On the way, Blackie was hit by shrapnel and fell into a thicket, but was able to take off again. He delivered his message, even though part of his neck and chest had been blown away. When he was given a drink, water dribbled out of his chest, and placed on his feet, he stumbled dizzily. It took numerous stitches to close his wounds. He was awarded a medal by Major General Alexander M.

Patch, Jr., and treated to a photo session by the army press corps. Blackie spent the rest of his days breeding with Madame Murphy and other females. The most celebrated pigeon of World War II was the blue-checked GI Joe. On October 18, 1943, an American infantry division called for heavy aerial bombardment on German-occupied Colvi Vecchia, Italy. When the Germans retreated unexpectedly, the British 56th Infantry Brigade moved into town unwittingly minutes before the scheduled bombing. Radio attempts failed to get word through to cancel the attack. With time running out, GI Joe was sent with the vital message to abort the bombing. He made the 20-mile trip in 20 minutes and arrived just as bombers from Allied Support Command were about to lift off. “If he had been five minutes later,” one soldier said, “the story might have been different.” GI Joe was awarded the Dickin Medal for Gallantry by the lord mayor of London, the highest award given to an animal by the British. He was the only American pigeon so honored. The pigeon service continued to grow through the war.

At its peak it mustered 150 officers, 3,000 enlisted men, and 54,000 pigeons. Although its personnel were only one third of one percent of the Army Signal Corps, it provided vital and outstanding service. With ranks filled by some of the foremost pigeon fanciers and trainers in the United States, the service sent an estimated 30,000 messages via pigeon overseas, and an astounding 96 percent reached their destinations. The GIs who depended on those messages knew well the value of the pigeons. “Our men gave first consideration to the birds,” reported Lieutenant Charles A. Koestar. “In Africa, if there was but one cup of water available, the birds drank before the men. That’s the way it works.” As communications technology advanced after the war, the pigeon service became obsolete and was disbanded in 1957. Most birds were sold at auction, but about two dozen celebrated pigeons were donated to zoos around the country. After their deaths, many of these were returned to the army, which preserved them and put them on display in military museums in memory of their accomplishments and the many lives they saved.

Pigeons had played a vital role in combat zones around the world, but few discussions of America’s efforts in World War II include any mention of them. Of course, the same could be said about most American people who served in the war. As pigeoneer Corporal Oliver Wendell Levi said of the pigeons, “No doubt some of the best of their work has been overlooked…as in the many individual feats of our soldiers….” All photos courtesy of the National Archives. Joe Razes of Columbia, Maryland, reports he is struggling with a powerful urge to buy some pigeons of his own. This article originally appeared in the August 2007 issue of America in WWII. Find out how to order a copy of this issue here . To get more articles like this one, subscribe to America in WWII magazine. Copyright 310 Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved. Pigeons and World War One - History Learning Site Pigeons and World War One Citation: C N Trueman "Pigeons and World War One" historylearningsite.co.uk. The History Learning Site, 16 Apr 2015. 16 Aug 2016.

Pigeons played a vital part in World War One as they proved to be an extremely reliable way of sending messages. Such was the importance of pigeons that over 100,000 were used in the war with an astonishing success rate of 95% getting through to their destination with their message. French soldier with pigeons carried on his back Pigeons were used extensively in World War One. Man-made communication systems were still crude and unreliable, so dogs and pigeons were used. Pigeons would have been found just about anywhere on the Western Front. At the First Battle of the Marne in 1914, French troops stopped the German advance on Paris. As the French troops advanced and pushed back the Germans, so their pigeons advanced with them. In the heat and disorientation of battle, pigeons proved to be the best way of sending messages to the French headquarters. At the Marne, the French had 72 pigeon lofts. As the French advanced, the lofts advanced with them – but many of the pigeons were ‘on duty’ carrying messages and could never have known where their loft had moved to.

Incredibly, all the pigeons at the Marne returned to their lofts – despite the fact that they would have flown ‘blind’ not knowing where their loft was. DEFENCE OF THE REALM Killing, wounding or molesting homing pigeons is punishable un the Defence of the Realm Regulations by Six Months Imprisonment or £100 Fine The public are reminded that homing pigeons are doing valuable work for the government, and are requested to assist in the suppression of the shooting of these birds. £5 Reward will be paid by the National Homing Union for information leading to the conviction of any person SHOOTING HOMING PIGEONS the property of its members. Information should be given to the Police, Military Post or to the Secretary of the Union, C C Plackett, 14, East Parade, Leeds This ability to get home was vital for those who used them as messengers. A pigeon’s great strength was not only its extraordinary homing instinct but also the speed at which it flew. Shooting one down would have been all but impossible. In many senses, a pigeon would always get through.

The only natural way to counter them was to bring birds of prey to the front line and let one of nature’s great battles occur. A falcon could bring down a pigeon – a marksman almost certainly could not. An apocryphal tale about pigeons is as follows: In October 1918, as the war neared its end, 194 American soldiers found themselves trapped by German soldiers. They were cut off from other Allied soldiers and had no working radios. The only chance they had of alerting anybody about their desperate situation was to send a pigeon with their co-ordinates attacked to its leg. The pigeon’s name was Cher Ami. When released it flew 25 miles from behind German lines to the Americans headquarters. Cher Ami covered the 25 miles in just 25 minutes. The pigeon was, in fact, shot through the chest by the Germans but continued to fly home. With the “Lost Battalion’s” co-ordinates, the Americans launched a rescue and the 194 men were saved. Cher Ami was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm for its astonishing flight.

As with other pigeons, it would not have known where the American’s nearest headquarters was – its natural homing instincts took over. Pigeons War Heros Pigeons War Heros THIS PAGE IS DEDICATED TO THE PIGEONS THAT SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN WAR! Cher Ami (Dear Friend) The ability to communicate is essential to soldiers in the field. Without communications to their commanders or support units in the rear area, soldiers on the front line can't send messages about their progress, request needed supplies, or call for help when things reach their worst. During World War I, messages were sometimes transmitted by wire (telegraph of field phone), but two-way radio communications had not yet become available. Sometimes a unit was ordered to attack over a broad and often difficult terrain, making it impossible to string the wire necessary for communications. In these situations, a field commander often carried with him several carrier pigeons. Pigeons served many purposes during the war, racing through the skies with airplanes, or even being fitted with cameras to take pictures of enemy positions. But one of the most important roles they served it was as messengers.

An important message could be written on a piece of paper, then that paper neatly folded and secured in a small canister attached to a pigeon's leg. Once the pigeon was released, it would try to fly to its home back behind the lines, where the message would be read and transmitted to the proper military planners. The United States Army is divided among several different specialties, the men from each specialty trained for a particular kind of work. Infantrymen are trained to fight on the ground, artillerymen are responsible for the big guns, armor refers to the men who fight in tanks, and the Air Service was the name for the group of soldiers who fought in the air during World War I. One of the oldest of these groups of soldiers was the members of the U.S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS. Since the birth of our Nation, it was these men that were responsible for insuring that messages between all units, (including messages to other branches of service like the Navy and Marines), got through. The Army Signal Corps identifies itself by a torch with two crossed flags. These represent SIGNAL FLAGS, a common way that messages were passed using code.

When the United States entered World War I in 1917, the Army Signal Corps was given 600 pigeons for the purpose of passing messages when it couldn't be done by signal flag or field phone. The pigeons were donated by bird breeders in Great Britain, then trained for their jobs by American soldiers. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, the 2-month battle that finally ended World War I, 442 pigeons were used in the area of Verdun to carry hundreds of messages. This is how the system worked: When a commander in the field needed to send a message, he first wrote it out on paper, trying to be both brief and yet as detailed as possible. Then he called for one of his Signal Corps officers, who would bring one of the pigeons that went with the soldiers into battle. The message would be put in the capsule on the birds leg, and then the bird would be tossed high in the air to fly home. The carrier pigeon would fly back to his home coop behind the lines. When he landed, the wires in the coop would sound a bell or buzzer, and another soldier of the Signal Corps would know a message had arrived.

He would go to the coop, remove the message from the canister, and then send it by telegraph, field phone or personal messenger, to the right persons. Carrier pigeons did an important job. It was also very dangerous. If the enemy soldiers were nearby when a pigeon was released, they knew that the bird would be carrying important messages, and tried their best to shoot the pigeon down so the message couldn't be delivered. Some of these pigeons became quite famous among the infantrymen they worked for. One pigeon named "The Mocker", flew 52 missions before he was wounded. Another was named "President Wilson". He was injured in the last week of the war and it seemed impossible for him to reach his destination. Though he lost his foot, the message got through to save a large group of surrounded American infantrymen. Cher Ami Probably the most famous of all the carrier pigeons was one named Cher Ami, two French words meaning "Dear Friend". Cher Ami several months on the front lines during the Fall of 1918. He flew 12 important missions to deliver messages. Perhaps the most important was the message he carried on October 4, 1918. Mr.

Charles Whittlesey was a lawyer in New York, but when the United States called for soldiers to help France regain its freedom, Whittlesey joined the Army and went to Europe to help. He was made the commander of a battalion of soldiers in the 77th Infantry Division, known as "The Liberty Division" because most of the men came from New York and wore a bright blue patch on their shoulders that had on it the STATUE OF LIBERTY. On October 3, 1918 Major Whittlesey and more than 500 men were trapped in a small depression on the side of the hill. Surrounded by enemy soldiers, many were killed and wounded in the first day. By the second day only a little more than 200 men were still alive or unwounded. Major Whittlesey sent out several pigeons to tell his commanders where he was, and how bad the trap was. The next afternoon he had only one pigeon left, Cher Ami. During the afternoon the American Artillery tried to send some protection by firing hundreds of big artillery rounds into the ravine where the Germans surrounded Major Whittlesey and his men.

Unfortunately, the American commanders didn't know exactly where the American soldiers were, and started dropping the big shells right on top of them. It was a horrible situation that might have resulted in Major Whittlesey and all his men getting killed--by their own army. Major Whittlesey called for his last pigeon, Cher Ami. He wrote a quick and simple note, telling the men who directed the artillery guns where the Americans were located and asking them to stop. The note that was put in the canister on Cher Ami's left leg simply said: "We are along the road parallel to 276.4. "Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us. "For heaven's sake, stop it." As Cher Ami tried to fly back home, the Germans saw him rising out of the brush and opened fire. For several minutes, bullets zipped through the air all around him. For a minute it looked like the little pigeon was going to fall, that he wasn't going to make it. The doomed American infantrymen were crushed, their last home was plummeting to earth against a very heavy attack from German bullets.

Somehow Cher Ami managed to spread his wings and start climbing again, higher and higher beyond the range of the enemy guns. The little bird flew 25 miles in only 25 minutes to deliver his message. The shelling stopped, and more than 200 American lives were saved...all because the little bird would never quit trying. On his last mission, Cher Ami was badly wounded. When he finally reached his coop, he could fly no longer, and the soldier that answered the sound of the bell found the little bird laying on his back, covered in blood. He had been blinded in one eye, and a bullet had hit his breastbone, making a hole the size of a quarter. From that awful hole, hanging by just a few tendons, was the almost severed leg of the brave little bird. Attached to that leg was a silver canister, with the all-important message. Once again, Cher Ami wouldn't quit until he had finished his job. Cher Ami became the hero of the 77th Infantry Division, and the medics worked long and hard to patch him up.

When the French soldiers that the Americans were fighting to help learned they story of Cher Ami's bravery and determination, they gave him one of their own country's great honors. Cher Ami, the brave carrier pigeon was presented a medal called the French Croix de guerre with a palm leaf. Though the dedicated medics saved Cher Ami's life, they couldn't save his leg. The men of the Division were careful to take care of the little bird that had saved 200 of their friends, and even carved a small wooden leg for him. When Cher Ami was well enough to travel, the little one-legged hero was put on a boat to the United States. The commander of all of the United States Army, the great General John J. Pershing, personally saw Cher Ami off as he departed France. Back in the United States the story of Cher Ami was told again and again. The little bird was in the newspapers, magazines, and it seemed that everyone knew his name. He became one of the most famous heroes of World War I. Years after the war a man named Harry Webb Farrington decided to put together a book of poems and short stories about the men and heroes of World War I. G.I.

Joe ( March 24 , 1943 in Algiers - June 3 , 1961 in Detroit ) is possibly one of the most famous pigeons in world history, serving much of its life in the United States Army Pigeon Service as one of over 54,000 pigeons in the force. In World War II , G.I. Joe saved the lives of the inhabitants of the village of Calvi Vecchia , Italy , and of the British troops stationed there. The village was scheduled to be bombarded by the Allied forces on 18 October 1943 , but the message that the British had captured the village, delivered by G.I. Joe, arrived just in time to avoid the bombing. Over a thousand people were saved. In November 1946 , G.I. Joe was presented with a high award, the Dickin Medal for gallantry. A complete list of pigeons awarded "THE DICKEN MEDAL" NEHU.40.NS.1 - Blue Cheq. Hen "Winkie" MEPS.43.1263 - Red Cheq.

Cock "George" SURP.41.L.3089 - White Hen "White Vision" NPS.41.NS.4230 - "Beachbomber" NPS.43.94451 - Dark Cheq. Cock "Paddy" NURP.36.JH.190 - Dark Cheq. Hen "Kenley Lass" NURP.38.EGU.242 - Red Cheq. Cock "Commando" NPS.42.NS.44802 - Dark Cheq. Cock "Flying Dutchman" NURP.40.GVIS.453- Blue Cock "Royal Blue" NURP.41.A.2164 - "Dutch Coast" NPS.41.NS.2862 - Blue Cock "Navy Blue" NPS.42.NS.15125 - Mealy Cock "William of Orange" NPS.43.29018 - Dark Cheq. Cock "Ruhr Express" NPS.42.21610 - B.C.

Hen "Scotch Lass" NU.41.HQ.4373 - Blue Cock "Billy" PIGEONS IN MILITARY In ancient times pigeons were the fastest way to send messages. There are writings that report that the Persian King Cyrus used birds to send information, and the Greeks used homing pigeons to send news of Olympic victories. During the eighth century in France, only the nobles had homing pigeons and the birds were considered a symbol of power and prestige, until the French revolution changed things so that the common man could have them. Even Julius Caesar used homing pigeons to carry messages of importance. In 1870 the Franco-Prussian war broke out and Paris was surrounded and cut off. The people in Paris figured out they could use hot air balloons to carry baskets of homing pigeons and other letters out of the city and the friendly French in the countryside could send messages back into Paris via the homing pigeons. This allowed the trapped people of Paris to communicate and maintain their hope and morale during the war. It was about this time that microphotography was developed in England, but used to great effect in this war to exchange many military instructions quickly via homing pigeon.

The microphotography allowed a pigeon to carry as many as 30,000 messages to be carried by a single bird! The four month siege of Paris saw 400 birds deliver nearly 115,000 government messages and about a million private messages according to historians. By 1914 when the war to end all wars (WWI) broke out the European armies were widely using homing pigeons in their war communications. United States General John Pershing saw the birds in use and ordered the Army Signal Corp to begin putting together their own pigeon communication system. It is believed that over half a million birds were used by the warring armies as reliable communication. These special birds had a 95 percent success rate in WWI delivering their messages and proved to be a lifeline for the troops on the front line. Remember this war was before modern radio and the telegraph was the other more-modern option for communicating. But this wire based system was easily cut in two or tapped into by enemy forces if given the chance. Others used the homing pigeon like aircraft pilots on recon missions, sailors off the coast, and even tanks on the move.

WWI was the height of homing pigeon used for military purposes. There were many pigeon heroes and several of these war birds received medals. One of the most famous WWI pigeon stories to be told is that of the ”lost battalion” in France that was saved by a pigeon named Cher Ami. This 600 man battalion was being shelled and wounded by friendly fire because they advanced too far into enemy territory. Their only hope of communication was by bird and Cher Ami gave it his all. The German soldiers saw the bird take flight and began firing upon the bird wounding it but not enough to take away its will to fly the 25 miles back to the command post. It arrived with one eye shot out, a bullet in its breast and most of the leg missing that had the message capsule still attached – hanging on only by a tendon. The message stopped the shelling and the battalion was later saved. After healing, Cher Ami went on to receive an honorary service cross and taken back to America and lived until 1919. Later he was mounted and then placed on display in the Smithsonian Institute.

When WWII broke out in the early 40’s the homing pigeon was brought back into service on both sides of the war. Many people do not realize that the head of the SS, Hemlic Hemmler, was also head of the national pigeon organization at one time and felt that the Nazis would benefit by taking over the national pigeon organization and the use of its members and birds. The Germans had 50,000 birds ready for use when the war had broken out. Unfortunately for America, the US Army Signal Corp did not maintain its pigeon program and to rebuild it from scratch. The Corp solicited birds from fanciers that were willing to donate them, and looked for new draftees that had a poultry or pigeon background to work as pigeoneers. Although the radio was developed at this time to carry voice, whereas Morse code was used in WWI, the homing pigeon was sometimes an excellent choice for communicating while maintaining radio silence. As one might expect radio direction finders were used by both sides to locate and try taking out each other’s forces. The homing pigeon was also found to be a capable airborne means flying a camera over enemy locations to learn more about troop strength and location.

A camera was mounted underneath the pigeon behind enemy lines and allowed to fly home where the camera was examined. These photos might show actual troops and equipment or if flying over a German town might show certain type factories or other military targets for bombing. Spies on both sides used pigeons to carry information and sometimes the birds were asked to fly the English Channel between Great Britain and France. The English and the Germans developed their own falcon program to intercept birds but they were just as likely to intercept one of their birds and stop the intended communication from ever arriving. WWII came to an end and in 1956 the US Army shut down the Pigeon Corp. The service of the homing pigeon went dormant until the 1970’s when the US Coast Guard started using them again but in a different way. During the 1940’s pigeons in a Tufts University lab had proven the exceptional ability to pick out certain shapes and colors in exchange for food. The US Coast Guard decided the same abilities could be useful while searching for men and equipment in open waters so they set up some testing using a small observation bubble on the bottom of some their helicopters stationed near San Francisco.

This project called Project Sea Hunt used three pigeons that faced 120 degrees from each other so that they covered the entire 360 degrees under the helicopter. The pigeons were 92 percent reliable in finding the test subjects or objects where humans were found to be in the 30-40 percent range. The project never got out of the testing phase and was ended in 1983 due to federal budget cuts so the birds did not get a chance to actually save any lives. (Excerpts taken from the History Channels production called Animals in Action, and Jerome Pratt’s book titled Courageous Couriers.)

Question: What type of bird was used to carry battlefield messenges in WWI and WWII?
Answer: Pigeons