Birds as Messengers 



military importance : steps were taken to 

 set up an effective " carrier " service, pigeon- 

 fanciers came forward with the utmost 

 patriotism to present their birds, and a little 

 later severe penalties were enforced under 

 D.O.R.A. for shooting CARRIER PIGEONS. 

 It was even held that it was the duty of the 

 public, in their own interest, to feed, water, 

 and care for any stray HOMERS which might 

 come into their possession (Daily Express, 

 i8.vii.i8). In spite of these precautions, 

 several fell victims during the shoots organised 

 in this country to thin the immigrant hordes 

 of WOOD PIGEONS. 



Our Military Pigeon Service, under Cap- 

 tain A. H. Osman, grew to large proportions, 

 and, though it was not till March 1916 that 

 the first British PIGEONS were sent over to 

 the Western Front, our birds soon became 

 as useful to us as those employed by our 

 Allies in France and Belgium, in which latter 

 country the training and rearing of PIGEONS 

 has long ranked as a national sport. In the 

 earlier days old omnibuses were used as 

 travelling lofts, but later on up-to-date 



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