Birds as Messengers 
with experience of intelligence work, interro- 
gated German prisoners who were brought 
into his pill-box as they arrived, and 
despatched the information derived from 
the bewildered Germans by ‘‘colombogram”’ 
almost as quickly as it could have been sent 
by telegram. In another case the garrison of 
a pill-box sent back by PIGEON a request 
that artillery should immediately open on 
the ground around their stronghold, taking 
no thought for their own safety, as the Ger- 
mans were about to surround them (Morn- 
ing Post, 19.vii.18). The officer who com- 
manded the first Tank Corps Battalion stated 
that PiGEoNs had frequently saved the situa- 
tion for him. Neither a gas cloud nor a 
heavy barrage of artillery fire deterred these 
messengers from bringing their despatches. 
The battle of Monchy is alleged to have been 
won through a flying message to the troops 
at the base; a counter-attack at Arras was 
smashed by the same means (Bird Notes and 
News, vol. viil. p. 25). 
Although the HominG PIGEONS on the 
Western Front were of the greatest use, as 
13 
