All RAF bombers and reconnaissance aircraft carried pigeons in special watertight baskets and containers and, if the aircraft had to ditch, the plane’s co-ordinates were sent back with the pigeon to its RAF base and a search and rescue operation was effected. Thousands of servicemen’s lives were saved by these heroic birds that flew often in extreme circumstances. 

During World War II homing pigeons were seconded into the National Pigeon Service from Britain’s fanciers, including from the Royal Lofts. In fact one pigeon from the Royal Lofts – Royal Blue – was the first pigeon to bring a message from a force-landed aircraft on the continent. On the 10th October 1940 this young bird was released in Holland. He flew 120 miles in 4 hours 10 minutes reporting the information regarding the situation of the crew. For this action Royal Blue later received the Dickin Medal (see below).

Pigeons carried their messages either in special message containers on their legs or small pouches looped over their backs.

Quite often pigeons were dropped by parachute in containers to Resistance workers in France, Belgium and Holland. This was often very precarious as it was a bumpy landing, and it was very dangerous for the Resistance workers if they were caught with a British pigeon.

Pigeon lofts were built at RAF and Army bases, and mobile lofts were also constructed so that they could move easily over land.