Bletchley Park and the Pigeon Spies

Over 15,000 pigeons were dropped into occupied Europe during WW2. Some were used by secret agents to send messages back to headquarters. Others were dropped by parachute into France, Belgium, Holland and Denmark in the hope that people would complete the attached questionnaire and provided military, political, economic or other intelligence of value for the Allies. Photographic negatives could be sent. Bletchley Park had its own loft for its pigeon spies. This book investigates the work of MI14, known as the Colomba Service, and for the first time sheds light on conditions in Occupied Europe described by extremely brave men and women who risked execution if found in possession of a pigeon. MI14 staff, decoded or translated messages and forwarded copies to SOE, SIS, MI19, RAF, RN, Ministry of Economic Warfare, BBC, Churchill, de Gaulle and President Benes of Czechoslovakia. 

---

Some books that may interest you

Parliament's Generals By: Malcolm Wanklyn	Edinburgh in the Great War By: Derek Tait	Irishmen in the Great War By: Tom Burnell
Staring at God By: Simon Heffer	The Zulu Kings and Their Armies By: Diane Canwell, Jon Sutherland	War Under The Red Ensign 1914 1918 By: Bernard Edwards
Tynedale at War 1939-1945 By: Brian Tilley	Painting Wargaming Figures By: Javier Gomez Valero	Jets at Sea By: Leo Marriott