Messages from the Front

Pigeons have been used to carry messages in times of war for thousands of years. They brought the first news of Wellington’s victory at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 and of the success of the D-Day landings in June 1944.

Although there had been rapid advances in communication technology, pigeons continued to be used in both world wars. In some situations they provided the only reliable means of getting messages through.

As well as pigeons, thousands of dogs were also trained to carry messages. Dogs could cover the ground two or three times as quickly as a person and get through when it was too dark for signalling and too foggy, wet or dark for pigeons.

All images Imperial War Museum Collection.