RPRA President, Les Blacklock, and his wife Meryl attended the Animals in War memorial service which took place at the Memorial on Park Lane, London, on the 10th November. The service was well attended, with most animal charities represented. Pigeons were mentioned first in the eulogy, and several speakers also gave moving accounts of their […]
In August 1914 the British government requisitioned over 1000 red double decker London buses and sent them to France to act as troop transports, ambulances and mobile lofts for carrier pigeons on the Western Front. Many of them drove around the French battlefields for a time in their red livery, with London locations such as […]
Jimmy Nelson, President of the RPRA Cumbria Region, and Billy Smith, President of the Scottish National Flying Club, laid wreaths at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres in recognition of the role played by homing pigeons in both world wars. Many thousands of fanciers gave their birds to the forces to act […]
Paula Yare has written a new children’s book entitled ‘Pip the Pigeon: Secret Mission’, about the hair-raising adventures of a heroic pigeon who joins the British Army in World War I. The book costs £4.99 plus p&p, and proceeds are being donated to Cancer Research UK. To order a copy, e-mail [email protected], with your name, address […]
At this – the centenary of the end of World War I – we feature a gallery of images related to the pigeoneers and carrier pigeons that gave invaluable service during the war.
US artist Duke Riley created Fly By Night to “pay beautiful homage to some of the First World War’s unsung heroes: the military pigeons that played crucial roles delivering messages between distant personnel.” Displaying over the River Thames for three days in June, the epic outdoor work saw over 1500 LED-lit pigeons soar into the skies in […]
Last night’s news on Channel 4 featured an item on pigeons in war, including Jon Snow interviewing the RPRA Development Officer Richard Chambers. Project 14-18 has been working with artist Duke Riley to develop a visual project that will raise awareness of the pigeon in war. A loft has been built in London (see below) […]
Swedish gaming company DICE has produced a World War 1 game – Battlefield 1 – which includes a section in which you play as a carrier pigeon delivering a message to its HQ. Watch the youtube clip of the scene above – it’s pretty awesome!
The late Dan Humphries was the curator and driving force behind a Pigeons at War Exhibition in Cornwall, which proved extremely popular with many visitors seeking it out when holidaying in the area. After Dan’s death the artefacts and displays he so painstakingly assembled were briefly relocated in Cornwall before being moved to Bletchley Park […]
Jo Peeters, who runs the HBFV Musuem in Belgium, dedicated to the Belgian and French Resistance during World War II, tells us of a relic in their collection relating to carrier pigeon NURP 39 TTTI that delivered Message 37 to MI4 and the RAF on 12 July 1941. The basket containing the pigeon was dropped […]
September 21st, 2023
September 14th, 2023
September 4th, 2023
