Military Pigeon History & Research
Pigeons of War explores the history of homing pigeons in military service, from antiquity to the modern era.
Recent Articles
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Pigeons in the Yugoslav Wars: The Croatian War of Independence (1991 A.D.)
In reading about military pigeons, one might be tempted to think that such services ended after the Second World War. For the most part, that’s accurate. Once electronic communication became cheaper and widespread in the post-war era, most militaries happily…
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The Finnish Defence Forces’ Pigeon Service: 1923 – 1940s A.D.
Finland emerged as a latecomer to the pigeon arms race—while other countries had started supplying their militaries with pigeons in the late-1800s, it wasn’t until the 1920s that Finland implemented its own military pigeon service. This late start is unsurprising,…
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“Very Gallant Gentlemen:” The Pigeons of the Royal Naval Air Service, 1916-1918 A.D.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force (RAF) enjoys the honor of being the world’s first independent air force. For over 100 years, the RAF has protected Britain’s skies and air space from harm, playing a major role in the Second…
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The Martyrs of Nomain: A Tale of Pigeons and Spycraft During the Great War
For all practical purposes, the Great War began when Germany invaded Belgium on August 4th, 1914. Despite the valiant efforts of the Belgian Army, it was an unfair fight and the small country was quickly overrun. For the duration of…