KING'S PIGEONS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 48, 4 May 1942, Page 6

KING'S PIGEONS

ARE AMONG 750,000 MOBILISED BY R.A.F. FROM BRITISH BREEDERS Pigeons from the King's Jolt at Sandringham, his Norfolk home, arc among the 750,000 now made available by British pigeon breeders for service with the Royal Air Force. King George is one of 15,000 owners who' are members of the National Pigeon Service, a voluntary body set up under the control of the Signals Directorate of the Air Ministry to provide carrier pigeons lor the Royal Air Force for taking messages, especially in an emergency. Each member of the Service supplies a number of birds daily to the nearest R.A.F. station and undertakes to look out for the return of his birds. When a bird Hies back to its loft it alights on a specially arranged trap which sets an electric bell ringing, arid the bell continues to ring until the owner retrieves the pigeon. Any message it may bfc carrying is reported immediately by telephone to the C.O. of the station. Pigeons can be released from aircraft while actually in flight, and 1000 birds weekly are already engaged on service Avith general reconnaissance 'planes. The R.A.F. has also a number of pigeon lolts of its mvn, and these arc in charge of N.C.O.'s and airmen, all expert pigeon fanciers. The King has accepted the badge worn by members of the Service and he has asked that a fortnightly report on the activities of his own birds should be submitted to him.