Coded D-Day Message Found on Pigeon Remains

From the Discovery News by Rossella Lorenzi,

A small red cylinder contained a cigarette paper-sized encrypted message.  The message "is deemed so sensitive that code breakers at GCHQ are frantically trying to decipher it."

The bird's name was 40TW194) (first two numerals are for year of birth).  Everyone is almost certain that the pigeon was dispatched from Normandy on June 6, 1944, D-Day.

Winston Churchill had ordered a radio blackout so homing pigeons were used to relay messages back from the front.  Some of the pigeons were brought along by soldiers and others were dropped behind enemy lines for use by resistance fighters.

It is known that the message was sent to XO2 at 16:45 and contained 27 codes, each made of 5 letters or numbers.

XO2 is believed to be Bomber Command.

The signature at the bottom of the message is Serjeant W. Stot.

--GreGen