Wireless of the Week - week 42

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

It may sound odd that as late as the Second World War pigeons were routinely used for communications. The history of using these remarkable birds and their ability to find their way home goes back to the earliest ages and was used by such notables as Genghis Khan and Paul Reuters of Reuters Press to deliver news. During the Great War a significant number of pigeons were decorated for heroic deeds and in WW2 they were used at Normandy on D-Day and at Arnhem when fear of radio interception made them a viable alternative.

As a military communication system, pigeons offered a great deal. They were lightweight and relatively easy to care for. Once released with a message they could fly directly to a receiving station hundreds of miles away at speeds up to 50 mph. They were incredibly hard to detect or shoot down and were therefore able to pass over enemy territory unharmed. The disadvantages were that relatively small messages were all they could carry and they were, due to the homing nature of the birds, limited to a one way communication without the sending station knowing for sure their message was received.

In service, pigeons were supplied in baskets with attached food. They were often dropped by parachute in single or multiple cartons which makes them, oddly enough, airborne. Each bird was banded with an identification number and a small Bakelite canister was provided that was to be attached to its leg. Special A.B. 418B message pads, made from lightweight paper, were supplied and it’s suggested in the manual that if a sharp pencil is used a long report with sketches could be sent. If carefully folded, two messages could be wound around the centre spool of the canister’s cap then inserted into the canister to be sent.

When sending a message by pigeon, it was critical the bird had enough fresh water to drink before flight even if food was somewhat short. This was because a hungry bird would still fly home to its loft, but a thirsty one would inevitably stop at the first water it saw which could increase the risk of it being shot and captured by the enemy. Other things to remember were that the half inch of wood chips on the bottom of the pigeon’s basket had to be changed every three days ("Right-O Signalman Jones, it's been three days...if you please?"), and the pigeons should be separated by sex because otherwise they tended to fight which, as a result, caused feathers to get pulled out or damaged.