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Pigeons in the Arctic: Part III: Sir John Ross’s 1850-51 Search for the Lost Franklin Bay Expedition
We’ve previously written about how Arctic explorers relied on homing pigeons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Recently, we uncovered facts demonstrating that Royal Navy personnel brought homing pigeons with them as they searched for the Lost Franklin Bay Expedition in the 1850s. Given that homing pigeons were very much a novelty amongst…
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Pigeons in the Yugoslav Wars: The Croatian War of Independence (1991 A.D.)
In reading about military pigeons, one might be tempted to think that such services ended after the Second World War. For the most part, that’s accurate. Once electronic communication became cheaper and widespread in the post-war era, most militaries happily disbanded their pigeon services, eager to get rid of a seemingly archaic system. By the…
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The Martyrs of Nomain: A Tale of Pigeons and Spycraft During the Great War
For all practical purposes, the Great War began when Germany invaded Belgium on August 4th, 1914. Despite the valiant efforts of the Belgian Army, it was an unfair fight and the small country was quickly overrun. For the duration of the war, German military authorities occupied nearly the entire territory. This is common knowledge, yet…
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How to Sabotage Military Pigeons: A Primer
Since the Siege of Paris (1870-71), armies have tried to neutralize military pigeons. The reasons for this are easy to understand—pigeons allow the enemy to request aid and to receive confidential information from spies. To put a stop to these birds, militaries have recruited sharpshooters and hawks to dispatch them, or released intercepted pigeons with…
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Birds of Prey vs. Pigeons of War
Pigeons and birds of prey have had a troubled relationship since the beginning. As nations rushed to set up military pigeon services in the 19th century, officials devoted ample resources to preventing bird-on-bird attacks. This was a serious concern for militaries. Hawks, falcons, and even owls could quickly annihilate an entire flock of pigeons during…
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Pigeons in the Arctic, Part II: Cold Weather Training
With origins in Northern Africa and the Middle East, homing pigeons clearly aren’t meant to be in the Arctic. Yet, these birds have repeatedly found themselves recruited for service in one of the coldest, most inhospitable regions on the planet. This week, we’ll take a look at the US Army’s attempts to prepare its Pigeon…
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Pigeons in the Arctic, Part I: Polar Expeditions
With origins in Northern Africa and the Middle East, homing pigeons clearly aren’t meant to be in the Arctic. Yet, these birds have repeatedly found themselves recruited for service in one of the coldest, most inhospitable regions on the planet. This week, we’ll take a look at two polar expeditions—one civilian, one military—involving flights near…
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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,…
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Flying Incognito: Pigeons in Camouflage
One of the many innovations to come out of the Great War was camouflage. Concealment has been a wartime tactic since time immemorial, but the concept of using stylized patterns to disguise military equipment emerged in the first month of the War. Two French painters who had been mobilized into an artillery regiment hid their…
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Pigeons vs. Radio
Pigeons and radio—their relationship is complicated, to say the least. Before radio—or wireless telegraphy, as it was initially known—first burst onto the scene, few methods of reliable, long-distance communication were available in areas unsuited for telegraph cables, such as the sea or mountainous terrain. Outside of sending a mounted rider or dispatch vessel, those wanting…
Pigeons of War 