PIGEON REGISTER

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 92, 20 April 1939, Page 9

PIGEON REGISTER

COMPILATION IN BRITAIN

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, April 18,

A register of carrier pigeons for use in war time is being compiled by the Air Ministry. The pigeons would be carried by Royal Air Fovce machines and would be used to convey messages if the plane's wireless apparatus were put out of action.

Since the war the Royal Air Force has maintained a pigeon service, and as a result of offers of pigeons from private fanciers it is expected that about half a million of their birds will be available to play their part in national defence.

Carrier pigeons still play a part in Great Britain's military system of communications, said a London message to the "Chicago Tribune" recently.

The British Air Force runs a pigeon service with four lofts for training and breeding—two in this country and two overseas. The army also has pigeons overseas. Recently they proved useful in India.

Carrier pigeons performed valuable service during the World War. The number of birds now maintained, however, is comparatively small, and military authorities are planning to expand the service to something like its former size. In the event of war, it is understood, the Royal Air Force would be given the task of co-oi-dinating pigeon services for 'the navy and army as well as itself.

During the German-Czecho-Slovak war crisis hundreds of private owners with trained birds offered their services to the Air Ministry, and an extensive register was compiled. In time of emergency thousands of trained pigeons would be available immediately for military use.

Within the last year or two various instances have been reported in which the lives of British troops in an isolated blockhouse in the Northwest Frontier Province of India, or in a desert post, have been saved by a message carried by a homing pigeon.

The most recent example occurred during trouble in Waziristan, India.

A detachment of South Waziristan Scouts was cut off and surrounded by native forces. Its only means of calling for help was by pigeon.

•Within fifteen minutes of being released a bird arrived in its army loft and a request for help was telephoned to the Air Force headquarters at Miranshah.

An aeroplane loaded with bombs and ammunition was over the surrounded detachment half an hour later. Two others followed close behind With their aid the detachment continued its fight against hostile tribesmen.

Medical supplies and a first aid outfit were dropped to the scouts. Towards evening the detachment, whose ammunition had been reduced to ten rounds per man, signalled for more. In the face of heavy fire from the natives four loads of ammunition and a supply of Verey lights were delivered by planes.

Combined action by planes and scouts drove off the attacking force of 500 men with a loss of eighteen killed and fifteen wounded. The scouts' casualties were four killed and ten wounded.