-
“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,…
-
Military Pigeons in the 21st Century, Part II: France
Since the end of the Second World War, most of the world’s militaries have decommissioned their pigeon services. A few, however, have held onto their birds. In this ongoing series, we’ll take a closer look at these holdouts. For nearly 80 years, almost every European military had a pigeon service at one point or another. …
-
The Austro-Hungarian Military’s Pigeon Service: 1875 – 1918 A.D.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire was founded in 1867, the result of a compromise between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary. It entered the world stage as a Great Power, and like all the others, raced to establish a military pigeon service in the wake of the Franco-Prussian War. The first military pigeon station was…
-
Pigeon POWs of the Great War
To the victor go the spoils. That pithy phrase has justified the wholesale seizure of property during wartime for millennia. Throughout the Great War, both the Allies and the Central Powers confiscated military equipment from one another when the opportunity presented itself. Trucks, ships, airplanes—each captured piece of equipment had the potential to bolster militaries…
-
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…
-
War Birds on Stage
Military pigeons have frequently inspired creators. That’s not surprising—their heroic deliveries of important battlefield dispatches amidst torrents of gunfire are ripe for artistic endeavors. Cher Ami’s transmission of the message that saved hundreds of American soldiers is portrayed in the 2001 film The Lost Battalion. The BBC sitcom Blackadder humously depicted the consequences of shooting…
-
Old Satchelback: The Loveable Loser
They got a name for the winners in the world And I want a name when I lose They call Alabama the Crimson Tide Call me Deacon Blues The jazz-rock group Steely Dan celebrated dignified loserdom in their 1977 song “Deacon Blues.” As the above passage suggests, the song’s protagonist—a hapless daydreamer—wants to be remembered…
-
The Imperial German Navy’s Pigeon Service: 1876 – 1918 A.D.
We here at Pigeon of War often mention the Franco-Prussian War in our posts. It’s an important moment in military pigeon history. By showing the world that homing pigeons could deliver messages in wartime, it led to a pigeon arms race all across Europe. However, another significant event occurred during that War—the birth of the…
-
Happy Jack: The Pigeon of Mons?
Cher Ami. GI Joe. President Wilson. These are among the most celebrated homing pigeons of the more than one million that served in both World Wars. But what about all the others? This is the first part in an occasional series that examines lesser-known war pigeons. On August 23rd, 1914, the British Expeditionary Force and…
-
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 