Unsung Heroes of WW1

Nicole Kelley

Junior Division

Individual Exhibit

Project- 465 words

Process Paper- 426 words

The topic I chose was communication through pigeons in World War One. I chose this topic because this topic seemed remarkably interesting. I knew it would make me want to learn even more about it. The topic I chose relates to the annual theme “Communication; The Key to Understanding” because carrier pigeons delivered messages between commanders and troops on the front lines the pigeons were especially useful tools of communication during WW1 when the telephone and the telegraph were still unreliable new technologies. How I conducted my research was by learning more about my topic. I did this by first finding good reliable resources that provided me with information on my topic. These resources consisted of books websites and newspaper articles. My research would also depend on what presentation category I would decide to use. The presentation category I chose was an exhibit board. I chose this presentation because I was more familiar with how it worked. I knew I would do better with the exhibit board because I had done a board before and it was more comfortable for me. The presentation category I chose affected my research because I knew that there was a limit on how many words I could use on my board. I had to make sure that I found enough words to explain my topic, and I had to make sure that the that I used did not exceed the word limit. I believe that homing pigeons where a crucial element for helping America and their allies to defeat Germany and win the war. These brave were incredibly determined to get their messages across the battlefield and to arrive at their destination. One example of this determination is a pigeon named . This pigeon got her message successfully across the battlefield despite being shot many times. She even ended up saving 194 men because of her immense amount of bravery and determination. Homing pigeons played a significant role in wars throughout history. World War One was just one war in which homing pigeons played a significant role in communication. Due to their ability to navigate directions, speed and altitude, they could successfully deliver messages to their respective troops. Even though a lot of pigeons were killed in the war, some of the information carried by the pigeons was so crucial that if their messages had not got through to the troops the U.S and their allies might have lost to Germany. Annotated Bibliography

Secondary

“Charles White Whittlesey.” Military Wiki, 26 Nov. 1921,

military.wikia.org/wiki/Charles_White_Whittlesey.

This website gave me more information on Charles W. Whittlesey.

“Cher Ami.” Smithsonian Institution, www.si.edu/object/nmah_425415.

This website helped me to learn more about the brave Cher Ami.

“The Incredible Carrier Pigeons of the First World War.” Imperial War Museums,

www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-incredible-carrier-pigeons-of-the-first-world-war.

This website provided me with good pictures to use in my project and it also helped me learn

more about the pictures.

Milivojevic, Dejan. “Wounded Four Times the WW1 Carrier Pigeon That Flew to the Rescue.”

WAR HISTORY ONLINE, 25 Mar. 2019, www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-

articles/cher-ami-the-smallest-hero-wwi.html.

This website helped me learn more about the picture I would use in my project.

“Pigeons of War.” Pigeons of War|WW100 , ww100.govt.nz/pigeons-of-war.

This website gave me more information on how the Germans used homing pigeons in ww1.

Primary

team, The National Archives web. “Policing Pigeons - The National Archives.” Home Front

Stories, www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/first-world-war/home-front-stories/policing-

pigeons/.

This website provided me with pictures taken during ww1 of the homing pigeons.

“Unsung Heroes of : the Carrier Pigeons.” National Archives and Records

Administration, National Archives and Records

Administration,prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/01/08/unsung-heroes-of-world-war-i-

the-carrier-pigeons/.

This website gave me a lot of information on the homing pigeons and how people used them in

ww1. This website also helped me to realize that the homing pigeons were more

reliable than technology at the time.

Unsung Heroes of WW1 Left Top Panel Photo

Source credits- “Unsung Heroes of World War I: the Carrier Pigeons.” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration,prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2018/01/08/unsung-heroes-of-world-war-i-the-carrier-pigeons/. Left Top Panel Text

Homing Pigeons Homing pigeons are domestic pigeons that have a natural homing ability. This means that they will usually return to their nest by using a sense called . Magnetoreception is a sense that helps animals and other organisms to find a magnetic field and to recognize the direction, altitude or location. Because of this sense and homing pigeons speed people used them to communicate and send messages. Homing pigeons were usually referred to or a during wars. Left Bottom Panel Photo

Source credits-military.wikia.org/wiki/Charles_White_Whittlesey. Left Bottom Panel Text

How They Communicated Before Homing Pigeons France and Britain were the first countries to use homing pigeons in WW1. France helped America to start using pigeons to communicate. Before anyone started to use pigeons though soldiers had to leave their relatively safe tanks to receive or send a message.

“Many wounded. We cannot evacuate” -Charles W. Whittlesey Center Top Panel Photo

Source credits-www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-incredible-carrier-pigeons-of-the-first-world-war Center Top Panel Text

Thesis Statement In 1914 America’s homing pigeons played a significant role in World War One. The pigeons carried crucial information to and from the trenches to their respective military headquarters. This helped America and their allies to defeat Germany. Center Bottom Panel Photo

Source credits- WW100 New Zealand, ww100.govt.nz/pigeons-of-war. www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-incredible-carrier-pigeons-of-the-first-world-war. Center Bottom Panel Text

Germany’s Use for Homing Pigeons The Germans also used homing pigeons in WW1. They used them to take pictures of the area from the sky. They also used the pigeons for carrying messages. The Germans also found ways to stop American messages from getting back or to the front lines. They would shoot down the pigeons and even use natural predators of the pigeon to stop them. This came to a point were American and British authorities hade to make it illegal to shoot pigeons and fly hawks.

How Homing Pigeons Were Used In WW1 In WW1 communication was key. At that time technology like the telephone and the telegraph were still new and unreliable. It was also dangerous setting the telephone lines. So, WW1 leaders stated to use homing pigeons. This turned out to be a more reliable form of communication with 95% of 100,00 pigeons successfully delivering their message!

“When telephone, wireless or any other means of communication breaks down, the winged wireless will be relied on to keep communication open between the fighting front headquarters”

-An American Committee on Public Information Right Top Panel Photo

Source Credits-www.iwm.org.uk/history/the-incredible-carrier-pigeons-of-the-first-world-war. Right Top Panel Text

What Happened to Homing Pigeons After WW1 Even after WW1 pigeons were still used in wars! They are even still used today in competitive today! After WW1 32 pigeons and their trainers were awarded with the united Kingdom’s for their heroic actions. Right Bottom Panel Photo

Source Credits- www.si.edu/object/nmah www.warhistoryonline.com/instant-articles/cher-ami-the-smallest-hero-wwi.html. Right Bottom Panel Text

Cher Ami Cher Ami was an important pigeon to WW1 history. This pigeon was one of the 600 homing pigeons owned by the U.S. signal corps in France. This pigeon was carrying an important message across the battlefield when she was shot in the chest and in her leg. But thankfully she still delivered her message and saved 194 men’s lives. For her heroic service, Cher Ami was awarded with the French with palm. Cher Ami was one of the many 100,000 pigeons used in WW1.

“We are along the road parallel to 276.4. Our own artillery is dropping barrage directly on us. FOR HEVEN’S SAKE, STOP IT!”