Johan Willaert Posted September 16, 2012 Share #76 Posted September 16, 2012 Latest MDT book ( D-Day minus, 17 Sep 1944) has a couple of pages about the use of carrier pages within the 101AB Div during market Garden, illustrated with some pictures showing the PG-51 being taken aboard glider for the flight towards Holland.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted October 4, 2012 Share #77 Posted October 4, 2012 WWII messenger pigeon found this week in a disused chimney ............ Hi everyone take a look at the link below about the sad end of a WWII messenger pigeon that never made it back to base with it's message. http://avalanchemedia.org/?p=1692 ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
craig_pickrall Posted October 4, 2012 Share #78 Posted October 4, 2012 That is amazing! Thanks for posting Ken. Sure would be embarrassing if the code breakers can't decode the message. They may need to pull one of the WW2 code breakers back to active duty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
General Apathy Posted October 4, 2012 Share #79 Posted October 4, 2012 That id amazing! Thanks for posting Ken. Sure would be embarrassing if the code breakers can't decode the message. They may need to pull one of the WW2 code breakers back to active duty. Hi Craig, thanks for the comment, when I heard about this story I thought that it would fit this topic on pigeons nicely, however the capsule is obviously a British version of the American leg capsule shown earlier in this topic. ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #80 Posted April 27, 2014 Carrier pigeons were also very valuable for Air Sea Rescue purposes. The AAF utilized more than 20,000 pigeons activated as the AAF Pigeon Service in Feb. 1943 following success by the Royal Air Force. Pigeons were principally first used in the Caribbean and slightly unique from the combat theaters. Each aircraft carried two sets of birds, one set would be homed to the point of departure and the other set destination. The idea was the appropriate birds would be released on which ever homing point is closest. In the combat theater typically only two birds were carried homed from departure point only. Typically the birds have numbered leg bands and upon distribution those numbers would be recorded to the aircraft they were aboard. If a bird should return without a message the leg band number can at least help identify the plane it came from. Pigeons are reported to have saved many lives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #81 Posted April 27, 2014 This is a picture of a RAF pigeon unit attached to the 376th BG in Libya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #82 Posted April 27, 2014 RAF person loading pigeon into a tin carrier, I assume this is a British item Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #83 Posted April 27, 2014 The pigeons are then handed over to an American NCO for delivery to the aircraft of the 9th AF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #84 Posted April 27, 2014 The same NCO delivering the pigeons to the appropriate aircraft Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #85 Posted April 27, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #86 Posted April 27, 2014 A pigeon house Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #87 Posted April 27, 2014 The condo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #88 Posted April 27, 2014 A pigeon returned with a SOS message , Libya Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dustin Posted April 27, 2014 Share #89 Posted April 27, 2014 Pigeons were also used in the CBI being carried in aircraft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken88 Posted April 29, 2014 Author Share #90 Posted April 29, 2014 I just came across these excellent pictures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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