PIGEONS IN THE GREAT WAR: A Complete History of the Carrier-Pigeon Service during the Great War, 1914 to 1918

An unusual full and detailed history of the Carrier-Pigeon Service in WW1, conducted under the direction of the author who was the editor of "The Racing Pigeon" and later Lieutenant Colonel of the service. As well as a good history of the formation and arrangements of the Carrier-Pigeon service, there is a roll of some hundreds of pigeons who performed particularly meritorious service, with details of some of these services, plus illustrations of equipment, birds and personnel involved.

Osman helped make officials aware of the valuable role pigeons could play in wartime communications, and became head of the Home Office Pigeon Service. The birds were vital to the army and navy - for example, they were used to communicate between Royal Navy ships that didn't have wireless telegraph systems.



Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig mentioned the Carrier-Pigeon Service in his despatch from France and Flanders of 25 December 1917:

"The Carrier Pigeon Service has also been greatly developed during the present year, and has proved extremely valuable for conveying information from attacking units to the headquarters of their formations."



"Quite 100,000 pigeons passed through my hands for active service" & that "Towards the end of the war 150 British mobile lofts, with complete equipment, wee on active service on the French & Italian fronts. This will give some little idea of the extent & usefulness of the service..." Lt.-Col. A.H.Osman