BOOKS BY GWEN PETREMAN

 

Birds as Military Heroes

A lot of people are not aware of the importance of birds to the military during both World Wars. During the wars when modern technology like radio and phone lines were unavailable or compromised birds like homing pigeons were a crucial, reliable, and undetectable method of communication for the military for centuries. They were used in both World Wars by various nations including the US Army Signal Corps and the British armed forces.

Homing pigeons are recognized for their extraordinary abilities to find their way home over long distances. They are also known as messenger and carrier pigeons. They are fast, athletic, and trained to return to their loft. During both wars, pigeons carried very important and critical messages. They were highly valued due to their homing abilities. The  vital messages were written on very thin paper placed inside a very light weight canister. The canister was attached to the pigeons’ leg. The pigeons were  incredibly helpful as they had a 90%- 95% success rate. Sometimes the message were deployed from the trenches in World War. They were also sent from tanks, hot air balloons, airplanes and ships. Some pigeons were so extraordinary that they actually received medals of honour. 

Perhaps the most famous heroic homing pigeon was Cher Ami ( Dear Friend)  used in WWI.

During World War l on October 3, 1918 US Major Whittlesey’s battalion was surrounded by German soldiers, but were suffering causalities from Allied Artilley. Within one day more than 300 soldiers had been killed. The major had only a single homing pigeon left. This pigeon was named Cher Ami and had already flown 11 missions. The Major placed a desperate note inside a small canister and tied it onto Cher Ami’s leg. “We are along the road parallel to 276.4.
Our own artillery is dropping a barrage directly on us.
For heaven’s sake, stop it.” - Message from Major Whittlesey, carried on Cher Ami

 Cher Ami was shot! He was blinded in one eye! He lost a leg! But he persevered!

Cher Ami flew 25 miles in 25 minutes! He delivered a crucial message to halt artillery fire from the Allies.

 Sadly, Cher Ami died days later from her severe injuries.  She was awarded  the French Crox de Guerre ( War Cross) . She was then taxidermied  by the Smithsonian Institution where she remains on display as a tribute to animal bravery during the war. Cher Ami -77 th Division National Museum of the United States Army.

In WWII an American homing pigeon known as GI Joe also saved countless lives. 

On October 18, 1943, to clear out German resistance during the Italian campaign of World War II, the town of Calvin Vecchia  was slated for a massive American aerial bombardment. But, the town had already been captured by the British forces meeting with very little resistance.  So if the town was bombed by the American troops, then the British military would have been killed by friendly fire from the Americans.

As a last resort, G.I. Joe, an American homing pigeon was released with a message to immediately abort the mission in a canister tied to his leg. G.I. Joe flew 20 miles in 20 minutes (averaging 60 mph). He arrived at the airbase just as the bombers were warming up their engines! The important message carried by G.I. to abort the mission probably saved 1,000 British military and countless Italian civilians. 

On November 4, 1946, G.I. Joe was awarded the Dickin Medal at the Tower of London. He was the 29th recipient and the first non-British animal to receive this honor, which is considered the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross. In 2019, he was posthumously awarded the Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery. Out of the 53 medals awarded 32 went to pigeons. US Army Honouring Those Who Saved Pigeon Memorial, July 6, 2023.

Another very famous military hero was homing pigeon called Winkie.

In 1942, a British bomber returning from a mission in Norway was hit by enemy fire and ditched into the freezing North Sea. Unfortunately, the downing occurred 120 miles from base. The 4 man crew managed to scramble into a dinghy, but were unable to radio their exact location back to the base. Luckily, the aircraft’s routinely carried homing pigeons.

So Winkie who was a blue checker homing pigeon was released with a message hoping she would survive the long distance and the terrible weather conditions!

A blue checker is recognized by its patterned feathers, its ability to navigate using the Earth’s magnetic fields and scents.

Incredibly she arrived at her loft near Dundee, 120 miles from the crash! She was exhausted with her feathers covered with oil from the crash. Her owner found her and immediately contacted the RAF in Fife. Winkie had no messages with any coordinates.

But, the RAF was able to calculate the approximate location of the downed plane.The RAF were able to pinpoint the location by using the time difference between the plane’s crash and Winkie's time of arrival, the wind direction, and the impact of the oil on her speed of travelling. Incredibly, the entire crew was rescued 15 minutes after starting the rescue operation. 

On December 2, 1943, Winkie was awarded the first-ever PDSA Dickin Medal known as the animal's Victoria Cross, for "delivering a message under exceptional circumstances.”

Vintage Wings of Canada War Pigeon, June 23, 2025.

She was a female blue checker who became the first animal to receive the Dickin Medal for gallantry in World War.

So it turns out birds especially homing pigeons were true military heroes in both world wars.

And, even today birds continue to be used in very specialized roles for electronic warfare backup, airfields safety and anti-drone operations; for example, several countries, including France, use trained peregrine falcons to hunt down and intercept unauthorized drones that might pose a threat to airspace.

 Birds of prey and parrots are used in therapy programs to help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress disorder and adapt to civilian life. Organizations like Parrots for Patriots connect rescue birds with veterans, providing them with purpose and emotional support. Birds of prey an effective weapon against light weight drones , July 2, 2020

Respectfully submitted by Gwen Petreman