From the Nov. 2, 2012, ABC News by Lama Hasan.
Daniel Martin in Bletchingly, Surrey, was renovating his fireplace when he started finding pigeon bones, then there was a leg with a red capsule attached to it. It turned out to be an encoded message.
Theories immediately began that perhaps the pigeon was making its way from behind enemy lines in German-occupied Europe, perhaps even D-Day and heading to Bletchley Park where Britain's main decryption establishment was located during World War II.
Others say it got lost, disorientated in bad weather or simply exhausted and landed in Martin;s chimney where it died.
More than 250,000 carrier pigeons were used during World War II in what was called the National Pigeon Service. They were heavily relied on to carry secret messages.
During the war, the Dickin Medal, the highest decoration for valor for animals, was awarded to 32 pigeons, including the U.S. Army pigeon G.I. Joe and the Irish pigeon Paddy.
Government code breakers are currently working on reading the message which will give great light if they succeed. So far, they have determined that the message was from a Sgt. W. Scott and written 70 years ago.
It Will be Interesting to Find Out What the Message Was. --GreGen
My Cooter's History Blog has become about 80% World War II anyway, so I figured to start a blog specific to it, especially since we're commemorating its 70th anniversary and we are quickly losing this "Greatest Generation." The quote is taken from Pearl Harbor survivor Frank Curre, who was on the USS Tennessee that day. He died Dec. 7, 2011, seventy years to the day. His photo is below at right.
Monday, November 5, 2012
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