The Pigeon Bus

[Dan Morton]

Some pictures you just have to see to believe.

And then there are some that, even after you see 'em, you don't really believe 'em. :lol:

This is another one of those wierd illustrated newspaper photos. A pigeon loft mounted on a converted bus, official British Army vehicle. Huh?

All the best,
Dan

 

[Figure Mad]

Hi Dan

Great Picture, only the British Army of the WW1 could think of using pigeons, But hey, needs must... :lol: :lol:

Dave

 

[billyturnip]

I've seen the old Airfix London bus converted into a Pigeon loft and have read an account of a Tommy capturing a group of Germans armed only with a basket of pigeons!

Roger

 

[DaveCox]

Originally posted by Figure Mad@May 29 2006, 09:55 PM
Hi Dan

Great Picture, only the British Army of the WW1 could think of using pigeons, But hey, needs must... :lol: :lol:

Dave

This was a time when all the combatant forces used pigeons. Radio was in it's infancy still. Even the balloons used for battlefield observation started the war in contact with the ground with very long telephone cables.

Motor transport was also still fairly primitive - there were very few specialised military vehicles and impressed civilian trucks & buses formed the majority in Britains forces; often remaining in the pre-war users livery!

The photo is of a conversion from the Airfix 1914 Dennis fire engine into one of the first 'WD' pattern trucks - draughty cab eh!

 

[Bluesking]

There is a kit of a WW1 mobile pigeon loft by Scalelink and a lovely piece it is too.

 

[Dan Morton]

And before anybody proposes it - no, I don't intend to do a diorama of this either. I just thought it was a wierd photo from a time that is for most of us very remote and hard to understand. Interesting, I didn't know that about the Scalelink kit! They make some good stuff!

All the best,
Dan