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Kultur Dokumente
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CAPERNS
I Fullo-Fire
Tonic Food
A
TONIC
AND
FOOD
civ little
fl~i~eoiis
in tbe ~eat ~LUar
A Complete History of the Carrier
Pigeon Service during the Great
War, 1914 to 1918
BY
LT.COL.
A. H. OSMAN.
London:
The Racing Pigeon Publishing Co.. Ltd.,
19, Doughty Street, London, W.C.1.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
PAGE
iNTRODUCTION
I.
II.
III.
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8
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ILLUSTRATIONS.
LIEUT.-COL.
A. 11.
OSMAN
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Frontispiece.
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page
13
page 14
page 15
facing page
MAJOR IV. H. OSMANCAFT. E. BURDENLIEUT. J0IIN II. JACQUES
CAFT.C.E.L.BRYANT
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GERMANS LOADING BIRDS ON TO AEROPLANEMOTOR MOBILE LOFT..
THE DUNDEE LIFE-SAVERWUN HI
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CERTIFICATE
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A LOFT OF RESERVES
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A CONVOY OF REINFORCEMENTS
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GAS
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PROTECTOR
CRISP, V.C.PILoTS
8
10
14
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22
24
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32
36
40
42
46
50
54
LEA RAYNER
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56
INTRODUCTION.
ON the 17th August, 1928, I received a letter from my
old chief under whom I last served on the Headquarters
Staff at Horse Guards, saying that during the war he
scarcely or properly appreciated all that pigeons did for
the cause, adding, Now I know better.
Neither the general public, nor fanciers themselves,
I fear, have ever appreciated the scope of the carrierpigeon service during the great war.
It has taken me a good many years to decide to
compile some details that may assist in the removal of
any doubt that time carrier-pigeon service on all fronts
was a valuable one.
Towards the end of the war 1.50 British mobile
lofts, with complete equipment, were in active service
on the French and Italian fronts. This will give some
little idea of the extent and usefulness of the service.
In addition to mobile lofts, we had stationary or
fixed lofts, and iii England we had a series of lofts for
intelligence work at stations along our coast line from
Newcastle-on-Tyne to Hastings.
I received much sympathy and help in the arduous
work undertakemi in connection with the carrier-pigeon
CHAPTER I
PIGEON WATt COMMITTEE.
TMMEIn,\IEJx after war was declared a ban
phaceil on the removal of pigeons or their transit
was
by
mail.
-4
~1
Se
NAME OF TTOLDER.
A. II. Osnman,
Christian Name, Alfred
Registered Postal Address, as above.
S. Allan Sykes,
(Superintendent
Tinekupy Police Station.
A. Osman,
Signature oF Holder.
DatQ, 5th Jima, 1915.
10
51,
12
CHAPTER II
TIISTOILICAL.
was
POST OPPICIiI.
5.~U.~,r,.~
W, I,
b
1
5.,.,,.,
13
1nj~.~
Sq.~,,OIJ 8.I~y, I,rn~le~,
S.C
14
4,
~..
V::?
t..,
tft.j
jfltii*~
w4aav.,,,.
1~
iii
~iP
.1
p ~p
ii
ii
H
p
ii
p~
p1
ii
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tip
Ii
tip
ii
pli~p.
pp
ii
pp
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.p
pup
iit
p
p
(ii
I piP
P~
pt\iP]pP;iii~
Iii~
pP
~..
...
Total
...
...
302
...
57
From these figures it will be seen that the percentage was a very small one, little more than 25 per
cent., but it must be borne in mind that it was an
emergency service; untrained birds were suddenly
called upon to do the work during winter months.
The result was very difierent during the recent war,
when 99 per cent. of the messages sent were safely
delivered, winter or summer, rain or shine, showing the
advantage of using selected birds of pedigree, trained
and in the hands of experts.
In consequence of the services remlered by pigeons
in the manner mentioned, European nations gave some
little attention to the development of the pigeon service.
In the Boer War they rendered some useful work by
carrying despatches arid plans out of Ladysmith, and
as the war proceeded it was decided to make same
little use of them by erecting small lofts. After the
conclusion of the Boer War some birds were shipped
to Nigeria for the purpose of establishing intercommunication between tha South and North. By this
10
17
CHAPTER III
THE
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and 500
should
diately acknowledged.
21
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22
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CI[APTE1I IV
rum:
MILIiAIiY
sERVICE.
)rtt side the Iii gher Coiiiiiia nd few of t lie public are
a ware of the fear that was cut cr1 a med of a seliotl s
iiivasioii umal I ire steps taken to meet such an
J.
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TEXT UP
30
~____
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CHAPTER V
Alit
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1~1115
FOI1CES.
established as a separate entity iii 1918, and was organised by Major W. 11. Osman, assisted by Capt. B.
Burden.
1>art of time fhieti existing ~aval pigeoli
service was taken over and some I)all ot the Army
Carrier-Pigeon Service.
There were lofts at all
important aerodromes at the conclusion of the war, and
pilots leaiiied to feel a Coi1fidt~11eeiii the colnpanionsiul)
ol a pigeon in its basket in the aerodronie.
Tim April, 1919, the following letter was issued by
command of the Air Council, to be forwarded to all
those breeders who had presented l)irds free of cost for
this service.
Air Ministry,
Strand,
London, \V.C.2.
April, 1919.
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ClIAPTE1~VI
iNTELLIGENCE SERVICE.
Service, I was
eventually
attached
to the Intelligence
H~( ~
come underneath.
One piece of wire was threaded
through time strongest tail feathers near the root of the
tail and another piece about 2 inches lower down the
tail in time same nianner.
The package to he sent was wired round with two
thin pieces of wire the same distance apart and then
attached to the loose wires under the tail. A whole
sheet of the Daily Mail can easily be sent a reasonable distance in this manner.
Our agents over the enemy lines would flash a smgnal
at night. Relays of pigeons would he dropped. rfhle
mflessa go or pareel would 1)0 at once at t a (lied to the
pigeon, which would be imniediately liberated and
home at its loft iii the morning.
The Germans boasted of their intelligence service,
lint our pigeoll service was as gooil as any during the
war.
Knowiii g the
49
60
J~r
ChAPTER VII
CONCLUSION.
War Department,
Washington.
September 12th, 1919.
Major-General,
Lieutenant-Colonel A. H. Osman,
~9, Doughty Street,
London, W.C.1,
England.
The following letter from General Fowler to General
Shaw will give sonic idea of the smooth working of time
Service. General Shaw gave me the letter and photos
to put amongst my collection.
52
General Headquarters,
France.
1st April, 1917.
My dear Shaw,
Time sending of time pigeons from England to
France has worked very smoothly and successfully.
We have got a very good lot of birds, and there have
been hardly any casualties, which shows the great care
that must have been taken in England in selecting and
consigning theni.
I enclose two photos of the horse-drawn pigeon
lofts collected at .Boulogne to receive time pigeons.
Osnian uunghit like to sec the photos.
I (10 not want
theni hack.
As
~rery many thanks for all the care that has been
taken to get good birds.
Yours,
JOHN FOWLER.
The
4
4
I The TOULET
always gives satisfaction!
MOST POPULAR,
EASY TO SET.
SAFE, RELIABLE.
EASY TO READ
Ajents
BACUP,
LANCASHIRE.
59
~ljliii
Jill Ill
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CONVOYERS
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SAFETY FIRST
SHUDEHILL,
House,
MANCHESTER
ESrAULlSHED
1820.
11111111 tIll IIIlilt IlllIIlIIlIIlllIllllIlt11111111 III tIll 1111111111 I I 1111111 I 11111111111111111111 liii11111 Ii~~
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I11111 111111111111111 11111111 IIIliii 11111 III III I11111111 1111111111 liii II~
If you contemplate founding a team of racing pigeons
you will avoid needless disappointments if you obtain
only pedigree long-distance stock from a buccessful
loft of well-tried, long-distance racers.
One such is the well-known
GLENGARIF
E
TEAM,
LEA
RAYNER,
Official
E
LorTs DESIGNED.
61
VIMOCINE PILLS
I VITACOR CAPSULES I
AND
S~U~LLS
& 1W LACY, LT~
CLITllE~OE,
---ENGLAND.
62
WEATHER
THE
~v
LT.COL.
A.
H.
OSMAN.
This new book, one of the best and most useful Lt.-Col. Osman
has written for fanciers, should be of great service and read by
all fanciers who care for their birds and wish to train them under
the moSt favourable conditions of weather.
The subject is divided under the following heads
Chapter ICyclones and Anticyelones; IlThe Baro.
meter and Thermometer; IllThe Wind; TVClouds,
Fog, Visibility ; V Weather Charts; VI Some
General Inferences.
THE WORK IS USEFULLY ILLUSTRATED,
PRICE
flfl
i~.r.
1/~ POST
FREE.
FREE
IADP1~
LIIDIILi
for
INSURANCE
for users.
25 for 11L: 50 for 2/-; 100 for 4/-; 500 for 16!-; post free.
Production of a Strain
A. H. OSMAN.
=
=
63
II. C. KNOTT
SPECIALISES IN
50,
Souvenirs.--
-----
-- -
Season Pigeons.
5Old Birds.
8Exercise.
4~
(Size 8~in.by
in.). Eseletted and strongly orate.
FREE INSURANCE. Births as well as Baskets insured.
TRAINING LABEL
OWNERS RISK.
in order that Ohs Owners Risk Rate way be given a fair trial, the
Racing Pigeon is prepared to insure fanciers against loss, nod plice them
in the same position as if they hall sent their birds at ordinary paree) rates.
See Racing Pigeon, March 11th, 1928, for conditions,
organisa.
[~1
=
=
,,,~
few
pence
a low.priced article
Hindhaughs
run.
the test of
time
on Quality.
Obtainable from all
good corn dealers
and grocers, or direct
from:
E =- HINDHAUGHS, Ltd.,
NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE.
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