French soldier posing for a photograph with a basket with pigeons, ca. 1916

French soldier posing for a photograph with a basket with pigeons, ca. 1916.

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Colourised by 'DURIEZ Frederic' on Flickr. 

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Pigeons were used extensively to deliver messages over long distances during the First World War. The small size and fast speed of pigeons made them ideal for this job, as it was almost impossible for an enemy to shoot it down with a rifle.

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As early as the First Battle of the Marne in September 1914, the French had 72 pigeons, which played a large role in communicating the relative positions of troops in order to decisively defeat the Germans in that battle.

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Pigeons were also used in tanks as means of communication with the outside world, as shown in the photograph. The pigeons were even awarded medals for their bravery, such as the French pigeon "Vaillant" (Valiant; Brave), which on June 4, 1916 during the Battle of Verdun successfully delivered a message from the Fort Vaux to headquarters, through gas and German rifle fire. For his actions, Vaillant received a ring of honor.

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There was also Cher Ami (Dear Friend), a British carrier pigeon given to the Americans. Cher Ami was with the famous U.S. Lost Battalion, stuck behind German lines in the Argonne forest during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in October 1918.

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Cher Ami, despite being shot and wounded, successfully delivered a message from the Lost Battalion to U.S. headquarters, giving them their location within the Argonne forest, and thus helped to save the lives of 194 American soldiers. This event was even depicted in the 2001 Lost Battalion movie, as well as the video-game Battlefield 1 and other books and movies.

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For her actions, Cher Ami was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, the highest French military honor. Cher Ami died in 1919 and was mounted by a taxidermist, and is now on display together with the dog Seargent Stubby in the National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.

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More than 100,000 pigeons were used by the British alone in the First World War, with an incredible delivery succes of 95%

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