![]() Their service as battlefield messengers is their most known use, and the pigeons found homes in every branch of service. One of the most impressive things about the war records of the carrier pigeons was how widely the birds were used. Using these messages and the history of the carrier pigeon in battle, we can look at what hardship these fearless fowls endured and how their actions saved American lives. ![]() ![]() The National Archives has a vast collection of messages that these feathered fighters delivered for American soldiers. Unsung heroes of World War I, the carrier pigeons of both the Allied and Central Powers helped assist their respective commanders with an accuracy and clarity unmatched by technology. and the pigeons he is raising for the Army, 1918. In an attempt to improve combat communications, the leaders of World War I turned to a much older form of communication: the carrier pigeon. Unfortunately, technology-like the telephone or the telegraph-was not as reliable as the commanders of Europe would have liked. In a conflict of the size and duration of World War I, communication was key. Even the recent invention of the telephone made its way into battlefield units, where soldiers used it to convey orders or direct artillery fire. From the introduction of airplanes to the use of tanks and railway guns on the battlefield, soldiers had to contend not only with each other but with the productions of the factory floor. World War I was one of the first great wars during the industrial revolution. Today’s post comes from Garet Anderson-Lind from the National Archives History Office.
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