In today’s age of technology, it can be easy to forget about how animals paid a pivotal role in the First World War - in some cases they meant the difference between life and death. In the centenary year of the First World War, it’s important to remember how many creatures, including the humble homing pigeon, played a vital role in communications during the conflict.
Pigeons were responsible for sending rescue messages back and forth from soldiers to their base. Over 100,000 birds were used, with an astonishing success rate of 95% getting through to their destination with their message, proving the huge impact they had when other communication systems were still unreliable during this time.
The pigeons would use their natural homing ability to get home, with their magnetic and solar compass following landmarks by aerial recognition and their sense of smell.
Lee Fribbins, representative of Pigeon Racing UK & Ireland, commented: '2014 marks 100 years since the start of the First World War. Not only do we remember the bravery of the soldiers, but we also want to remember the amazing achievements of homing pigeons during this terrible conflict. Pigeons were an invaluable form of communication during the war and the birds literally saved lives - without them, many more men would have perished.'
However, the use of these birds for vital communication began long before the First World War. Racing pigeons are descended from the Rock Dove, and the earliest recorded reference to the use of messenger pigeons comes from Ramses III (c.1200 BC) when they were used to convey news between cities regarding the flood state of the Nile.
The Romans used pigeons to convey messages throughout the empire, for example Olympic Games results for betting syndicates, and ships warning their home port of their imminent arrival.
Carrier pigeons were held in very high esteem in the Arab world, and were called “The Kings Angels”, and in medieval times pigeons were brought back to Europe by the Crusaders.
In the 1800′s there was an official pigeon postal service throughout France, and this was expanded between capitals so that a postal service by carrier pigeon between London and Paris was advertised in 1870.
Pigeon racing became a sport of the masses in the early 1900′s, and of course the pigeons were used extensively as message carriers by armies on both sides during the First and Second World War.
The homing pigeon is said to be one of the toughest birds on the planet and will voluntarily fly over 20,000 miles a year, which is the equivalent to flying completely around the world at the equator.
Today there are still around 43,000 pigeon fanciers in the UK with pigeon racing continuing to be a popular pastime around the country. Not only have they served Britain for generations, they have proved their many talents across a wide spectrum and should be treasured for the foreseeable future.
This short educational video shares the history of the homing pigeon and their huge impact on civilisation for thousands of years.