Birds as Messengers 



" tossed " with messages from behind the 

 German lines. Advantage was also taken 

 of the fact that behind the German lines 

 there were large towns or thickly populated 

 areas occupied by a friendly people, many of 

 whom, moreover, knew all about HOMING 

 PIGEONS, as the North of France and Bel- 

 gium, like Yorkshire and Lancashire, were 

 centres of the " fancy." By a combination 

 of close meteorological study and ingenious 

 mechanical devices it became possible to 

 drop baskets containing our PIGEONS on 

 occupied areas where the chances were that 

 they would fall into friendly hands. These 

 hands knew where to take them, and in due 

 course quite a large percentage arrived at 

 our lofts bearing valuable information (Times, 

 3o.xii.i8). PIGEONS were also made use 

 of for " counter-espionage/' The Germans 

 made a splendidly finished message-carrier 

 with a red seal at the top ; from time to time 

 our troops captured German PIGEONS in the 

 trenches, but could not use them to send 

 messages as they had no similar holders. 

 A medal maker of Birmingham, however, 



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