Military Pigeons

Collection of US Coast Guard pigeons, c. 1920s-1930s (courtesy of USCG)

U.S. Coast Guard pilot at Ten Pound Island Air Station demonstrating how to release pigeon while in flight, c. 1929 (courtesy of U.S. CG HQ)

Illustration of an Italian Army pigeon post in Saati, Eritrea, c. 1888 (courtesy of Guerra D'Africa)

Message carried by an Austrian Gendarmerie pigeon informing authorities of an injured child, c. 1963 (courtesy of Achenseer Museumswelt)

Diagram of of a Soviet Army two-way pigeon communication system for battlefield use, Jun. 1944, WWII (courtesy of Top War)

U.S. Coast Guardsman holding pigeon used for airplane-to-base communication at Air Station Ten Pound Island in Gloucester, Massachusetts, c. 1920s (courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office)

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Pigeons in the Siege of Antwerp, 1832 The Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 is perhaps the most well known instance of pigeons being used to carry information in and out of a city during a siege.  But nearly 40 years earlier, the Dut…

New blog post! Pigeons in the Siege of Antwerp, 1832!

pigeons-of-war.com/2025/07/03/p...

Austro-Hungarian soldiers place pigeons in a gas protection box, c. 1917, WWI (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian soldier wearing a special box designed to protect pigeons from gas attacks, Dec. 3, 1917, WWI (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military aviator taking a crate of pigeons aboard his plane, WWI, July 2, 1918 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian mobile military pigeon loft in modern-day Trento, Italy, c. 1917, WWI (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeon station in modern-day Trebinje, Bosnia, c. 1910s (courtesy of Darabanth)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeoneers standing near a special box designed to protect pigeons from gas attacks, Dec. 3, 1917, WWI (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian sailor training pigeons on a torpedo boat, c. 1890s (courtesy of MV-Wien)

I let the conservators borrow the hero pigeons for condition assessment and the next thing I know the birds are out getting their photos taken. Yeesh!

Group of Austro-Hungarian soldiers displaying their pigeon backpacks in front of a pigeon station in modern-day Trento, Italy, WWI, c. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeons, WWI (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

The man on viewer's left has a right proper 'stache.

Austro-Hungarian soldiers gather by a mobile loft near modern-day Trento, Italy, WWI, c. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian soldiers gathered near a mobile loft near modern-day Romania, WWI (courtesy of staatsarchiv.at)

Austro-Hungarian soldier stands beside a mobile pigeon loft in Trento, Italy, WWI, c. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian soldier poses near a mobile pigeon loft in Trento, Italy, WWI, Dec. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeon station near modern-day Naraiv, Ukraine, WWI (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeon station, WWI, c. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeon loft at Feldjägerkommando 25, WWI, c. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

From The CECOM Archive: Army Pigeon Program From The CECOM Archive: Army Pigeon Program Writer: Susan Thompson Photographer: Sean Kief Editor: Sean Kief Producer: Sean Kief

www.dvidshub.net/video/953373...

Austro-Hungarian military pigeon station in modern-day Trento, Italy, WWI, Dec. 1917 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)

Austro-Hungarian military pigeon lofts stationed near modern-day Ukraine, WWI, c. 1917 (courtesy of ah.org)

Austro-Hungarian soldiers setting up a pigeon station in the field, WWI, c. 1916 (courtesy of the Austrian National Library)