Knowledge (XXG)

National Pigeon Service

Source 📝

138:
The form indicates that two copies of the message were sent. Additional notations, in a color different from the code groups and signature, are "NURP 40 TW 194" and "NURP 37 OK 76." These identify the specific birds used. NURP stands for "National Union of Racing Pigeons." The pigeon whose remains
151:(GCHQ) has stated "without access to the original code books, details of any additional encryption, or any context around the message, it will be impossible to decode. Similarly it means that any proposed solutions sent to GCHQ will, without such material, be impossible to prove correct." 147:, a former British army intelligence operator and advisor to Bletchley Park, dismissed Young's purported decryption as "nonsense", explaining "a World War One code ... wouldn’t have been used because it would have been well known to the Germans and insecure." The 142:
Wide press coverage was given to a solution proposed by Gord Young of Canada, based on a World War I coding book. It explains 7 of the 26 unique code groups as ad hoc acronyms, such as "FNFJW - Final Note Found Jerry's Whereabouts." However,
96:, Surrey, in the southeast United Kingdom. Inside a red canister attached to one of its legs was an encrypted message handwritten on a Pigeon Service form. The message was addressed to "XO2," which is thought to be 28:
and the Army and Intelligence Services, Special Section of the Army Pigeon Service (which was formed in World War I by Lt. Col. A.H.Osman). During three and a half years of World War II, 16,554
265: 24:
and the British Government by Major W. H. Osman. During 1939-45 over 200,000 young pigeons were given to the services by the British pigeon breeders of the NPS. The birds were used by the
677: 104:. The message consists of 27 five-letter groups, with the first and last group identical. As of February 2019, the message has not been deciphered. Britain's 374: 224: 286: 724: 348: 148: 425: 729: 144: 698: 182: 250: 48:
Pigeons were used by a variety of services and the canisters affixed to their legs were colour-coded to distinguish recipients.
21: 100:, and is signed "W Stot Sjt." It is believed to have been sent from France on June 6, 1944 during the World War II 620: 198: 719: 664: 510: 418: 520: 20:(NPS) was a volunteer civilian organization formed in Britain in 1938 as result of representations made to the 228: 328: 595: 307: 641: 485: 411: 74: 266:"Wanted for one last mission: call for Bletchley Park codebreakers to crack the D-Day pigeon cipher" 590: 555: 470: 97: 386: 585: 525: 495: 178: 101: 33: 550: 490: 625: 575: 540: 530: 442: 25: 671: 605: 580: 565: 560: 545: 480: 109: 89: 349:
World War II Pigeon's Message a Mystery, Alan Cowell, New York Times, November 1, 2012
713: 610: 570: 646: 615: 475: 461: 93: 37: 600: 535: 515: 505: 500: 434: 29: 287:"Experts: Unbreakable code message found on WWII carrier pigeon - World News" 451: 359: 253:
At last, the secret history of that dead cipher pigeon...Cipher Mysteries
202: 112:
has asked for any information the public might have about the message.
199:"PDSA Dickin Medal: 'the animals' VC', Pigeons — Roll of Honour" 105: 407: 403: 40:. Many other NPS pigeons also received the Dickin Medal. 36:, a red chequer cock bird that became a recipient of the 360:"Has World War II carrier pigeon message been cracked?" 32:
were parachuted onto the continent. One of these was
329:"Dead WW2 pigeon – a ring of truth?Cipher Mysteries" 686: 656: 634: 460: 441: 64:Red with coloured disk = British Special Service 419: 8: 426: 412: 404: 308:"Pigeon takes secret message to the grave" 177:. Sumter, S.C.: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. 160: 168: 166: 164: 149:Government Communications Headquarters 58:Blue with coloured disk = British RAF 7: 331:. Cipher Mysteries. 23 November 2012 139:were found is apparently 40 TW 194. 375:"The Independent", 26 December 2012 92:was found inside a home chimney in 14: 699:United States Army Pigeon Service 725:Military animals of World War II 70:Green = British Special Service 67:Grey = British Special Service 55:Blue = US Forces + British RAF 52:Red = US Forces + British Army 1: 268:. Telegraph. 23 November 2012 22:Committee of Imperial Defence 694:National Pigeon Service (UK) 730:Birds in the United Kingdom 132:KLDTS GQIRU AOAKN 27 1525/6 88:In 2012, the skeleton of a 79:Yellow = British Commercial 61:Blue with white patch = RAF 746: 464:recipients of World War II 665:The Pigeon That Took Rome 445:recipients of World War I 389:. Gchq.gov.uk. 2012-12-17 310:. Gchq.gov.uk. 2019-01-25 249:WO 205/225 – pages 1/2/3 387:"Pigeon Message Update" 289:. Worldnews.nbcnews.com 130:LKXGH RGGHT JRZCQ FNKTQ 128:UAOTA RBQRH DJOFM TPZEH 126:NLXKG MEMKK ONOIB AKEEQ 124:PABUZ WYYNP CMPNW HJRZH 122:RQXSR DJHFP GOVFN MIAPX 120:AOAKN HVPKD FNFJU YIDDC 115:The cipher text reads: 18:National Pigeon Service 227:. PDSA. Archived from 225:"Dickin medal pigeons" 201:. PDSA. Archived from 173:Levi, Wendell (1977). 136: 205:on September 22, 2008 117: 84:Pigeon NURP 40 TW 194 678:Yankee Doodle Pigeon 75:British Civil Police 231:on 13 February 2010 108:, the successor to 44:Canister color code 365:, 16 December 2012 98:RAF Bomber Command 707: 706: 621:William of Orange 737: 720:Domestic pigeons 511:Duke of Normandy 428: 421: 414: 405: 398: 397: 395: 394: 383: 377: 372: 366: 357: 351: 346: 340: 339: 337: 336: 325: 319: 318: 316: 315: 304: 298: 297: 295: 294: 283: 277: 276: 274: 273: 262: 256: 251:, referenced in 247: 241: 240: 238: 236: 221: 215: 214: 212: 210: 195: 189: 188: 170: 135: 745: 744: 740: 739: 738: 736: 735: 734: 710: 709: 708: 703: 682: 652: 630: 576:NURP.43.CC.1418 521:Flying Dutchman 456: 443:Croix de Guerre 437: 432: 402: 401: 392: 390: 385: 384: 380: 373: 369: 358: 354: 347: 343: 334: 332: 327: 326: 322: 313: 311: 306: 305: 301: 292: 290: 285: 284: 280: 271: 269: 264: 263: 259: 248: 244: 234: 232: 223: 222: 218: 208: 206: 197: 196: 192: 185: 172: 171: 162: 157: 133: 131: 129: 127: 125: 123: 121: 118: 86: 46: 26:Royal Air Force 12: 11: 5: 743: 741: 733: 732: 727: 722: 712: 711: 705: 704: 702: 701: 696: 690: 688: 684: 683: 681: 680: 675: 668: 660: 658: 654: 653: 651: 650: 644: 638: 636: 632: 631: 629: 628: 623: 618: 613: 608: 603: 598: 593: 588: 583: 578: 573: 568: 566:NPS.42.NS.7524 563: 561:NPS.42.NS.2780 558: 553: 548: 546:Mary of Exeter 543: 538: 533: 528: 523: 518: 513: 508: 503: 498: 493: 488: 483: 478: 473: 467: 465: 458: 457: 455: 454: 448: 446: 439: 438: 433: 431: 430: 423: 416: 408: 400: 399: 378: 367: 352: 341: 320: 299: 278: 257: 242: 216: 190: 183: 159: 158: 156: 153: 110:Bletchley Park 102:D-day invasion 90:carrier pigeon 85: 82: 81: 80: 77: 71: 68: 65: 62: 59: 56: 53: 45: 42: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 742: 731: 728: 726: 723: 721: 718: 717: 715: 700: 697: 695: 692: 691: 689: 685: 679: 676: 674: 673: 669: 667: 666: 662: 661: 659: 655: 648: 645: 643: 640: 639: 637: 633: 627: 624: 622: 619: 617: 614: 612: 609: 607: 604: 602: 599: 597: 594: 592: 589: 587: 584: 582: 579: 577: 574: 572: 571:NURP.38.BPC.6 569: 567: 564: 562: 559: 557: 554: 552: 549: 547: 544: 542: 539: 537: 534: 532: 529: 527: 524: 522: 519: 517: 514: 512: 509: 507: 504: 502: 499: 497: 494: 492: 489: 487: 484: 482: 479: 477: 474: 472: 469: 468: 466: 463: 459: 453: 450: 449: 447: 444: 440: 436: 429: 424: 422: 417: 415: 410: 409: 406: 388: 382: 379: 376: 371: 368: 364: 361: 356: 353: 350: 345: 342: 330: 324: 321: 309: 303: 300: 288: 282: 279: 267: 261: 258: 255: 254: 246: 243: 230: 226: 220: 217: 204: 200: 194: 191: 186: 184:0-85390-013-2 180: 176: 169: 167: 165: 161: 154: 152: 150: 146: 145:Michael Smith 140: 134: 116: 113: 111: 107: 103: 99: 95: 91: 83: 78: 76: 72: 69: 66: 63: 60: 57: 54: 51: 50: 49: 43: 41: 39: 35: 31: 27: 23: 19: 693: 687:Institutions 670: 663: 647:Leaping Lena 616:White Vision 596:Ruhr Express 476:Beach Comber 462:Dickin Medal 391:. Retrieved 381: 370: 362: 355: 344: 333:. Retrieved 323: 312:. Retrieved 302: 291:. Retrieved 281: 270:. Retrieved 260: 252: 245: 233:. Retrieved 229:the original 219: 207:. Retrieved 203:the original 193: 174: 141: 137: 119: 114: 94:Bletchingley 87: 47: 38:Dickin Medal 17: 15: 642:John Silver 601:Scotch Lass 536:Kenley Lass 516:Dutch Coast 506:DD.43.T.139 501:DD.43.Q.879 486:Broad Arrow 435:War pigeons 235:22 February 209:28 December 30:war pigeons 714:Categories 657:In fiction 649:(Cold War) 591:Royal Blue 393:2013-08-14 335:2013-08-14 314:2020-11-13 293:2013-08-14 272:2013-08-14 175:The Pigeon 155:References 556:Navy Blue 471:All Alone 586:Princess 526:G.I. Joe 496:Commando 452:Cher Ami 363:BBC News 73:Black = 34:Commando 672:Valiant 551:Mercury 491:Cologne 635:Others 626:Winkie 541:Maquis 531:Gustav 181:  606:Tommy 581:Paddy 481:Billy 611:Tyke 237:2011 211:2008 179:ISBN 106:GCHQ 16:The 716:: 163:^ 427:e 420:t 413:v 396:. 338:. 317:. 296:. 275:. 239:. 213:. 187:.

Index

Committee of Imperial Defence
Royal Air Force
war pigeons
Commando
Dickin Medal
British Civil Police
carrier pigeon
Bletchingley
RAF Bomber Command
D-day invasion
GCHQ
Bletchley Park
Michael Smith
Government Communications Headquarters



ISBN
0-85390-013-2
"PDSA Dickin Medal: 'the animals' VC', Pigeons — Roll of Honour"
the original
"Dickin medal pigeons"
the original
, referenced in At last, the secret history of that dead cipher pigeon...Cipher Mysteries
"Wanted for one last mission: call for Bletchley Park codebreakers to crack the D-Day pigeon cipher"
"Experts: Unbreakable code message found on WWII carrier pigeon - World News"
"Pigeon takes secret message to the grave"
"Dead WW2 pigeon – a ring of truth?Cipher Mysteries"
World War II Pigeon's Message a Mystery, Alan Cowell, New York Times, November 1, 2012
"Has World War II carrier pigeon message been cracked?"

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