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‘Patriotic pigeons’: pigeon politics and military service in war-time South Africa, c.1899 – 1945

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 April 2022

Hendrik Snyders
Hendrik Snyders*
Affiliation:
University of Stellenbosch
*
[email protected] / [email protected]
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Extract

Contrary to P.S Thompson's contention that the Great War in Natal was “chiefly the concern of the British community”, contemporary evidence indicated that this and other conflicts were equally the concern of the ‘animal community’ including that of pigeons. In fact, history abounds with the tales of pigeons fulfilling a critical intelligence role in both local and overseas conflicts, including the Anglo-Boer War, First World War and World War Two. Indeed, in all cases special war measures were promulgated to regulate the keeping, general treatment, utilisation and transport of the birds. The Dickin Medal, also known as the Victoria Cross for Animals and awarded to recognise conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty of animals and birds associated with or under the control of any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units under the British Imperial Army, was awarded to 32 pigeons.

Type
Articles
Information
African Research and Documentation , Volume 122 , 2013 , pp. 3 - 21
Copyright
Copyright © International African Institute 2013

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References

Notes

1 P.S. Thompson, 2011, “The Natal home front in the Great War (1914 - 1918)”, Historia 56, 1, May; p. 101

2 See for example Capshew, 1993, “Engineering behaviour: Project Pigeon, World War II, and the Conditioning of B.F. Skinner”, American Psychologist; Osman, A.H. (1918), Pigeons in the great war : A complete history of the carrier pigeon service during the great war, 1914 to 1918, London: The Pigeon Racing Co.Google Scholar; Cothren, M.B.,(1944), Pigeon Heroes: Birds of War and Messengers of Peace (Coward-McCann Incorporated)Google Scholar

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9 New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 36, 12 June 1891, p.31

10 Evening Post, “Carrier Pigeons in War Time”, 6 November 1891, p.2

11 Thames Advertiser, “Pigeon Messengers in War Time”, 30 December 1899, p.3

12 Bay of Plenty Times, “The War Pigeon Service”, 19 August 1898, p.4

13 Thames Advertiser, “Pigeon Messengers”, 30 December 1899, p.4

14 Auckland Star, “Homing Pigeons in War Time”, 18 November 1899, p.3

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16 Ashburton Guardian, “An Organised Pigeon Post”, 8 January 1900, p.3

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19 Natal Argief Bewaarplek (forthwith NAB), Prime Minister (forthwith PM): 19: 1900/1436 - Memorial: EAE Lee - relative to the messages carried by his Pigeons

20 Sentrale Argief Bewaarplek (forthwith SAB), Field Intelligence Department (forthwith FK) 2107: Military Pigeon Post: Report of Operations, September ‘01 - August ‘02

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22 Racing Pigeon, 28 April 1902

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25 Press, “The Third Contingent”, 26 January 1900, p.6

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30 The Sydney Morning Herald, “Pigeons in South Africa - What they could accomplish”, 3 January 1900, p.4

31 The North Queensland Register, “The Boer spy system - how winged messengers are believed to be assisting the Burghers”, 1 January 1900, p.18

32 Vrystaatse Argief Bewaarplek (forthwith VAB), GS 1679: R441/97 - T. Crempert vragende om duiven aan onze regeering te verkoopen voor oorlogsdienst

33 SAB, KG 0:CR 7294/99 - Speciale Commissaris Johannesburg legt voor aanbod voor vliegende duiven

34 NAB, CSO 1583:1898/7455: J. Trempert re carrying pigeons

35 VAB, SRC: 8 RC 2663 - Refugees not allowed to send messages with homing pigeons

36 The Inquirer and Commercial News (Perth, Western Australia), “Life at Pretoria - prisoners impression”, 26 January 1900, p 2

37 Natal Archives Division (forthwith NAD): MJPW 103: LW4619/1903: AP Shepstone, Vryheid: The Disposal of Carrier pigeons

38 Kaapse Argief Bewaarplek (forthwith KAB), Department of Agriculture (forthwith AGR), 469:3937 - R. Hill - Sir Gordon Sprigg, 24 March 1903

39 KAB: AGR: 469:3937 - R.E. Hill - Secretary of Agriculture, 8 September 1903

40 KAB: AGR: 469: 3937/249 - N.J. Williams & 21 Others - Speaker & Members of the House of Assembly, 30 June 1903

41 KAB: AGR: 469: 3937 - Assembly - Department of Agriculture, 29 July 1903

42 KAB: Attorney General (forthwith AG), 1427:3823 - Attorney General's Comments, 29 February 1904

43 KAB: AGR:469: 3937 - R.E. Hill - Under Secretary of Agriculture, 8 October 1903

44 KAB: AGR: 469: 3937 - Report: Department of Agriculture, 10 September 1903

45 KAB: AGR 469: 3937 - Under Secretary for Agriculture - R.E. Hill, 16 October 1903

46 KAB: AGR 469: 3937 - Homing Pigeons Protection Bill (1904)

47 Launceston Examiner, “Protection of Homing Pigeons”, 18 October 1898, p.6

48 The Register (Adelaide, South Australia), “Deputations”, 26 July 1902, p.10

49 The Register (Adelaide, South Australia), “A Homer Bill”, 23 September 1904, p 4

50 KAB, AG 1597: 3838 - TWG Ladds: Protection of pigeons, Naauwpoort

51 SAB, AG: 1853: 17965: Public Health Regulations - pollution of rainwater by pigeons

52 KAB; PAS 2/71: L1A - Aberdeen Municipality Pigeon Regulations

53 KAB; PAS 2/1036: L63/A/11 - Molteno Regulations

54 KAB: PAS 2/100: L/8/A/5 - Barkly West - Pigeon Keeping

55 KAB: 3 / CT 4 / 1 / 5 / 512 - Pigeon Lofts, 1926

56 Colonist, “A pigeon as a photographer”, 9 March 1909, p.1

57 The Advertiser (Adelaide), “The Use of pigeons”, 8 August 1908, p.10

58 SAB, Department of Justice (forthwith JUS) 1/438/12, Secretary: Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Secretary of the Minister of Justice, 20 July 1914

59 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Durban Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (forthwith DSPCA), - Secretary for Justice, 2 October 1918

60 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Honorary Secretary: Transvaal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (forthwith TVLSPCA), 7 November 1912

61 Gladstone, H.S. (1919), Birds and the War (Strand: Skeffington & Son), pp. 4 - 8Google Scholar

62 Natal Mercury, “Carrier pigeons”, 15 October 1914

63 SAB, South African Police (forthwith SAP) 6/2415/14/82: Secretary of Defence - Chief Commissioner of Police - Confidential Documents: Carrier pigeons at German Club, Pretoria, 25 September 1914

64 SAB, Union Defence Force (forthwith UDF), Secretary of Defence - Commissioner: South African Police, 1 October 1914.

65 SAB, UDF, 6/245/14/82 - Commissioner South African Police - Secretary of Defence; 6 October 1914

66 SAB, JUS, 1/354/ 14: Secretary of Justice - Commissioner South African Police, 31 October 1914

67 SAB, SAP, CD EDC 2466/14: Office of the Deputy Commissioner: Grahamstown - The Secretary: South African Police, 24 November 1914

68 SAB, Office of the Governor-General of South Africa (forthwith GG) 9/213/5: 721, Rear Admiral & Senior Naval Officer, Simon's Town - Governor General of the Union of South Africa, 12 February 1916

69 SAB, GG 9/213/5: 721, Prime Minister's Minute 9/215/1, 28 February 1916

70 SAB, BAL A 4021, Secretary of Defence - The Agent for the Union of South Africa, Lourenco Marques, 27 March 1917

71 SAB, SA Corps of Signals, vol. 1: Carrier pigeons in War: Instructions issued by General Staff, March 1918

72 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Honorary Secretary Transvaal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Honorable Minister for the Interior, 28 April 1921

73 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Secretary, Durban Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Secretary for Justice,2 October 1918

74 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Commissioner South African Police - Secretary for Justice, 2 June 1921

75 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Secretary for Justice - Honorary Secretary Transvaal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 21 July 1921

76 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Honorary Secretary & Treasurer: East Rand SPCA - The Honourable Minister of Justice, 6 November 1929

77 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Secretary for Justice - Honorary Secretary & Treasurer: East Rand SPCA, 27 November 1929

78 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Secretary: Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Secretary: Department of Justice, 5 November 1936

79 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Mrs. V.E. Taylor - General Hertzog, 19 August 1936

80 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Chief Clerk to the Attorney - General of Natal - All Public Prosecutors in the Province of Natal, 18 November 1936

81 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Sekretaris van Justisie - FRL Eksteen, 30 Junie 1937

82 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Chairman: Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - The Honourable Minister of Justice, 26 September 1945

83 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Honorary Secretary: Transvaal Homing Union - The Secretary for Justice, 20 February 1929

84 SAB, JUS 1/438/12, Secretary: Cape of Good Hope Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - Secretary: Department of Justice, 5 November 1936

85 SAB, Public Works Department (forthwith PWD) 18/2281, Secretary of Defence - 17 April 1942

86 SAB, Union Defence Force, SA Military Pigeon Section (SAMPS), Unit History, 27 October 1939

87 SAB, South African Mint (forthwith SAM), 8/2/8: 9/1/1 - Works Orders: Defence Pigeon Carrier Service, 20/4/1940 - 19/10/1942

88 SAB, Uitvoerende Kommittee van die Unie van Suid Africa / Executive Committee of the Union of South Africa (forthwith UCU) 2316/2363- Minute of the Office of the Prime Minister, Pretoria, 28 August 1945

89 SAB, UCU 2924/2959- Minute of the Office of the Prime Minister, Pretoria, 7 October 1941

90 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, Deputy Commissioner: SA Police, Windhoek - Commissioner SA Police, Pretoria, 2 April 1941

91 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, Deputy Commissioner SA Police, Cape Town - Commissioner SA Police, Pretoria, 3 November 1941

92 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, O.C. S.A.C.S. Pigeon Service - Commissioner of Police, Pretoria, 13 November 1941

93 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, Director of Signals - Defence Head Quarters, 22 July 1941

94 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, Secretary for Defence - Commissioner SA Police, Pretoria, 18 November 1940

95 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, OC SACS Pigeon Detachment Voortrekker Hoogte - Honorary Secretary: Transvaal Racing Pigeon Federation / Commissioner SA Police, 23 November 1942

96 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, OC SACS Pigeon Detachment, Voortrekker Hoogte - Honorary Secretary: NPRU / Commissioner SA Police, 29 October 1939

97 SAB, SAP 1/268/40, Deputy Commissioner Commanding: Natal Division - Commissioner SA Police, Pretoria, 19 September 1941

98 SAB, Union Defence Force, SA Military Pigeon Section (SAMPS), Restricted Communication : Director of Signals - D.C.C.S. (DSD) & D.C.C.S. (DMI), 2 October 1946

99 SAB, Union Defence Force, SA Military Pigeon Section (SAMPS), Restricted Memorandum: Director of Staff Duties, War Office Whitehall; 31 August 1946