TOPIC:

GraemeAndrew
Welcome to the site. I am sure many forum members would like to see the canister and paper note. Have you considered contacting the IWM and asking them to send you photographs? As you were the donor, perhaps they might oblige.
Regards
IL.

That carrier pigeon cannister could be this one, in the IWP.



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Hello,
People don't realise what an amazing creature a racing or messenger pigeon is. I used to race pigeons in the Noth East of England and we use the yardage a bird does to measure velocity and speed I.e if a bird is doing 1760 yards a minute it would be covering a mile a minute. This would be faster or slower depending on the wind wether it is a nose wind or tail wind. Pigeons have been used in many wars they have to bred and raised to the place they are to be sent I.e H.Q they will only fly to their home. Nobody knows how they do it ? Built in Compass? . The furthest race on the racing pigeon calander in the N.E is Bourgeois which is 520 miles to me so we take a pigeon to a field in France it has never been before rellease it and would fly back to my loft in England in
a day ! This is why they gave been used as messengers through out history and scientists are still baffled on how they manage to do it !!!

An original pigeon post which was sent out of Ladysmith in two parts. The post contained a micro-filmed sketch of Potgieter's pass with additional information noted in the sidelines.