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Old Anchor: A Naval Pigeon That Jumped Ship During World War One
In the final months of the Great War, the German Army frequently left behind their pigeons as they beat a hasty retreat from encroaching Allied forces. Many of these abandoned birds, as we’ve previously written about, were eagerly adopted by the Americans, who incorporated them into breeding programs back stateside. But Germany’s Army was not…
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“You’re in the Army Now!”: When Pigeons Get Drafted
In discussions about military pigeons, little attention has been paid to how the birds even entered the armed forces. Typically, there were two routes. Some pigeons were like professional servicemembers—born and raised in government lofts, all they knew was a life of military camps and discipline. Others were like draftees—prize-winning racing birds in civilian life,…
Pigeons of War 