Retrotechtacular: Airmail for Birds

Today, if You to want has send A message has A far location, you go probably send A E-mail Or A text message. But he doesn't always has been that easy. Military commanders, In particular, to have always necessary manners has send posts And were early adopters of radio And, Before has that, diagrams as semaphores, drums, horns, Aldis lamps, And even barrels of water has communicate on distances.

A of THE most reliable manners has pass messages, even during THE last world war, was by carrier pigeon. From THE WE. Army Signal Body manipulated Nothing that included messages, he makes sense that THE War Department issued TM 11-410 about how has to use And care For pigeons. Think of he as THE network operations guide of 1945. THE practical, However, East a lot older. There East evidence that THE Persians used pigeons In THE 6th century BC, And Jules Caesar army Also used THE system.

You wouldn't he imagine that drawing A assignment In THE Signal Body could involve learning about reproduction the pigeons, training them, And provide them with medical attention, but It is What a few Signal Body staff did. THE Army begin experiment with pigeons In 1878, but THE Marine was THE main user of THE birds until World War I, When THE WE. Pigeon Intelligence Service was shape. In World War II, they saw to use In situations Or radio silence was important, as THE D-Day invasion.

THE Marine Also dissolved It is earlier Pigeon Messenger Service. He SO income has avian communications during THE World The wars, using them has allow aviators has send posts back has base without radio traffic. THE Marine had It is own version of THE pigeon manual.

For what he Works

Pigeons instinctively back House And can TO DO SO on long distances. Apparently, part of This East related up In hunger, but A big part East coupling. Pigeons to have A Single boyfriend, And When they are apart, they to want has back has that boyfriend. Kind of romantic.

THE pigeons did require training. Ideally, you would have to start with young birds And give them A constant source of water more A day of generous food. He East Also necessary has form THE birds has back has their attic, A process called "trapping", Since having THE bird just back has THE general area is not it useful if You are trying has to recover A message Since It is leg.

If THE pigeons had Headquarter duty, This was pretty direct. However, In fight, pigeons would be be expected has reacclimatize has A new location In eight days of arrival.

You can see A pigeon administrator during World War II In THE movie below.

They were used even more In World War I, as You can see In THE Pathé movie Since that war below.

Gear

A carrier pigeon vest do For THE Army by Form of a girl, A business known For arm. These vests to leave pigeons coupling A to go up with A parachutist

There was A entire host of equipment, as THE PG-50 cage And THE PG-14 message holder. OUR favorite, However, could be THE PG-100/CB And PG-101/CB. These are little tubes complete of pigeons that include A parachute, allowing pigeons has be book by air. Second place was THE PG-106/CB pigeon vest.

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