November 6, 2012--One For the Birds

I was trying to distract myself from election anxiety when I stumbled upon a story in the New York Times that is literally for the birds. It's about a World War II military carrier pigeon with the code name 40TW194.

Before computers, satellite technology, and other "smart" devices, a primary way to transmit information in code across enemy lines was by using carrier or homing pigeons. Traditionally, such a pigeon could be transported to a location up to 50 miles away from its home base and then, when released, it would find its way back to its coop. More usefully, some pigeons could be trained to make a roundtrip, flying from home to a remote location where there was food for it and then back home. This relieved their handlers from having to figure out how to get them to the other side of a battlefield without putting themselves in danger.

During both the First and Second World War, the military depended on these fine feathered friends to carry all sorts of messages in little leather tubes strapped to one of their legs. 100,000 pigeons flew missions during the First World War and an incredible 250,000 during World War II.

These couriers are back in the news because the skeleton of one from World War II days was found in England with its tube intact and, most intriguing, with a still-undecpihered coded message rolled up inside.

The remains of the pigeon was discovered quite some time ago, back in 1982 during a chimney cleaning in Surrey, but had been ignored until recently. The Brits were preoccupied at the time with the war in the Falkland Islands and the pigeon hero was overlooked until now.

I say "hero" because these pigeon and other animals such as dogs were widely used during both world wars; and for those who carried out the most dangerous and vital missions there is the Dickin Medal, Britain's highest decoration for "animal valor." Since 1943 this medal has been awarded just 64 times, half to pigeons, including one for an American pigeon named G.I. Joe or, more officially, USA43SC6390, whose citation says that it "brought a message which arrived just in time to save the lives of at least 200 Allied soldiers from being bombed by their own planes."

There is speculation as to the content of 40TW194's message. Since a second pigeon with an identical was launched at the same time, it is thought that it was of considerable importance. The German's, knowing the value of homing pigeons, would attempt to shoot them down when they spotted them crossing their lines, and so sending a backup is intriguing code-breakers at legendary Bletchley Park, Britain's top secret establishment for deciphering enemy communications, including those sent by the Nazis using the Enigma Machine.

Additionally fascinating to World War II buffs is the fact that neither of these pigeons is included in any historical archive, which suggests that they were so-called "special pigeons" in the same way that James Bond was a "special agent." Maybe some of this will be straightened out in a week or so when the new 007 movie, Skyfall, opens. The title suggests it might.

In the meantime, I need to check the latest news about voter turnout in Ohio's Cuyahoga County.