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National Pigeon Service

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149:
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
162:(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." 158:, 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 153:
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,
107:, 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 39:
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
276: 35:
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
688: 115:. 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 385: 235: 297: 735: 359: 159: 436: 740: 155: 709: 193: 261: 59:
Pigeons were used by a variety of services and the canisters affixed to their legs were colour-coded to distinguish recipients.
32: 111:, and is signed "W Stot Sjt." It is believed to have been sent from France on June 6, 1944 during the World War II 631: 209: 730: 675: 521: 429: 531: 31:(NPS) was a volunteer civilian organization formed in Britain in 1938 as result of representations made to the 239: 339: 606: 318: 652: 496: 422: 85: 277:"Wanted for one last mission: call for Bletchley Park codebreakers to crack the D-Day pigeon cipher" 601: 566: 481: 108: 397: 596: 536: 506: 189: 112: 44: 561: 501: 17: 636: 586: 551: 541: 453: 36: 682: 616: 591: 576: 571: 556: 491: 120: 100: 360:
World War II Pigeon's Message a Mystery, Alan Cowell, New York Times, November 1, 2012
724: 621: 581: 657: 626: 486: 472: 104: 48: 611: 546: 526: 516: 511: 445: 40: 298:"Experts: Unbreakable code message found on WWII carrier pigeon - World News" 462: 370: 264:
At last, the secret history of that dead cipher pigeon...Cipher Mysteries
213: 123:
has asked for any information the public might have about the message.
210:"PDSA Dickin Medal: 'the animals' VC', Pigeons — Roll of Honour" 116: 418: 414: 51:. Many other NPS pigeons also received the Dickin Medal. 47:, a red chequer cock bird that became a recipient of the 371:"Has World War II carrier pigeon message been cracked?" 43:
were parachuted onto the continent. One of these was
340:"Dead WW2 pigeon – a ring of truth?Cipher Mysteries" 697: 667: 645: 471: 452: 75:Red with coloured disk = British Special Service 430: 8: 437: 423: 415: 319:"Pigeon takes secret message to the grave" 188:. Sumter, S.C.: Levi Publishing Co, Inc. 171: 179: 177: 175: 160:Government Communications Headquarters 69:Blue with coloured disk = British RAF 7: 342:. Cipher Mysteries. 23 November 2012 150:were found is apparently 40 TW 194. 386:"The Independent", 26 December 2012 103:was found inside a home chimney in 25: 710:United States Army Pigeon Service 736:Military animals of World War II 81:Green = British Special Service 78:Grey = British Special Service 66:Blue = US Forces + British RAF 63:Red = US Forces + British Army 1: 279:. Telegraph. 23 November 2012 33:Committee of Imperial Defence 705:National Pigeon Service (UK) 741:Birds in the United Kingdom 143:KLDTS GQIRU AOAKN 27 1525/6 99:In 2012, the skeleton of a 90:Yellow = British Commercial 72:Blue with white patch = RAF 18:D-Day carrier pigeon cipher 757: 475:recipients of World War II 676:The Pigeon That Took Rome 456:recipients of World War I 400:. Gchq.gov.uk. 2012-12-17 321:. Gchq.gov.uk. 2019-01-25 260:WO 205/225 – pages 1/2/3 398:"Pigeon Message Update" 300:. Worldnews.nbcnews.com 141:LKXGH RGGHT JRZCQ FNKTQ 139:UAOTA RBQRH DJOFM TPZEH 137:NLXKG MEMKK ONOIB AKEEQ 135:PABUZ WYYNP CMPNW HJRZH 133:RQXSR DJHFP GOVFN MIAPX 131:AOAKN HVPKD FNFJU YIDDC 126:The cipher text reads: 29:National Pigeon Service 238:. PDSA. Archived from 236:"Dickin medal pigeons" 212:. PDSA. Archived from 184:Levi, Wendell (1977). 147: 216:on September 22, 2008 128: 95:Pigeon NURP 40 TW 194 689:Yankee Doodle Pigeon 86:British Civil Police 242:on 13 February 2010 119:, the successor to 55:Canister color code 376:, 16 December 2012 109:RAF Bomber Command 718: 717: 632:William of Orange 16:(Redirected from 748: 731:Domestic pigeons 522:Duke of Normandy 439: 432: 425: 416: 409: 408: 406: 405: 394: 388: 383: 377: 368: 362: 357: 351: 350: 348: 347: 336: 330: 329: 327: 326: 315: 309: 308: 306: 305: 294: 288: 287: 285: 284: 273: 267: 262:, referenced in 258: 252: 251: 249: 247: 232: 226: 225: 223: 221: 206: 200: 199: 181: 146: 21: 756: 755: 751: 750: 749: 747: 746: 745: 721: 720: 719: 714: 693: 663: 641: 587:NURP.43.CC.1418 532:Flying Dutchman 467: 454:Croix de Guerre 448: 443: 413: 412: 403: 401: 396: 395: 391: 384: 380: 369: 365: 358: 354: 345: 343: 338: 337: 333: 324: 322: 317: 316: 312: 303: 301: 296: 295: 291: 282: 280: 275: 274: 270: 259: 255: 245: 243: 234: 233: 229: 219: 217: 208: 207: 203: 196: 183: 182: 173: 168: 144: 142: 140: 138: 136: 134: 132: 129: 97: 57: 37:Royal Air Force 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 754: 752: 744: 743: 738: 733: 723: 722: 716: 715: 713: 712: 707: 701: 699: 695: 694: 692: 691: 686: 679: 671: 669: 665: 664: 662: 661: 655: 649: 647: 643: 642: 640: 639: 634: 629: 624: 619: 614: 609: 604: 599: 594: 589: 584: 579: 577:NPS.42.NS.7524 574: 572:NPS.42.NS.2780 569: 564: 559: 557:Mary of Exeter 554: 549: 544: 539: 534: 529: 524: 519: 514: 509: 504: 499: 494: 489: 484: 478: 476: 469: 468: 466: 465: 459: 457: 450: 449: 444: 442: 441: 434: 427: 419: 411: 410: 389: 378: 363: 352: 331: 310: 289: 268: 253: 227: 201: 194: 170: 169: 167: 164: 121:Bletchley Park 113:D-day invasion 101:carrier pigeon 96: 93: 92: 91: 88: 82: 79: 76: 73: 70: 67: 64: 56: 53: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 753: 742: 739: 737: 734: 732: 729: 728: 726: 711: 708: 706: 703: 702: 700: 696: 690: 687: 685: 684: 680: 678: 677: 673: 672: 670: 666: 659: 656: 654: 651: 650: 648: 644: 638: 635: 633: 630: 628: 625: 623: 620: 618: 615: 613: 610: 608: 605: 603: 600: 598: 595: 593: 590: 588: 585: 583: 582:NURP.38.BPC.6 580: 578: 575: 573: 570: 568: 565: 563: 560: 558: 555: 553: 550: 548: 545: 543: 540: 538: 535: 533: 530: 528: 525: 523: 520: 518: 515: 513: 510: 508: 505: 503: 500: 498: 495: 493: 490: 488: 485: 483: 480: 479: 477: 474: 470: 464: 461: 460: 458: 455: 451: 447: 440: 435: 433: 428: 426: 421: 420: 417: 399: 393: 390: 387: 382: 379: 375: 372: 367: 364: 361: 356: 353: 341: 335: 332: 320: 314: 311: 299: 293: 290: 278: 272: 269: 266: 265: 257: 254: 241: 237: 231: 228: 215: 211: 205: 202: 197: 195:0-85390-013-2 191: 187: 180: 178: 176: 172: 165: 163: 161: 157: 156:Michael Smith 151: 145: 127: 124: 122: 118: 114: 110: 106: 102: 94: 89: 87: 83: 80: 77: 74: 71: 68: 65: 62: 61: 60: 54: 52: 50: 46: 42: 38: 34: 30: 19: 704: 698:Institutions 681: 674: 658:Leaping Lena 627:White Vision 607:Ruhr Express 487:Beach Comber 473:Dickin Medal 402:. Retrieved 392: 381: 373: 366: 355: 344:. Retrieved 334: 323:. Retrieved 313: 302:. Retrieved 292: 281:. Retrieved 271: 263: 256: 244:. Retrieved 240:the original 230: 218:. Retrieved 214:the original 204: 185: 152: 148: 130: 125: 105:Bletchingley 98: 58: 49:Dickin Medal 28: 26: 653:John Silver 612:Scotch Lass 547:Kenley Lass 527:Dutch Coast 517:DD.43.T.139 512:DD.43.Q.879 497:Broad Arrow 446:War pigeons 246:22 February 220:28 December 41:war pigeons 725:Categories 668:In fiction 660:(Cold War) 602:Royal Blue 404:2013-08-14 346:2013-08-14 325:2020-11-13 304:2013-08-14 283:2013-08-14 186:The Pigeon 166:References 567:Navy Blue 482:All Alone 597:Princess 537:G.I. Joe 507:Commando 463:Cher Ami 374:BBC News 84:Black = 45:Commando 683:Valiant 562:Mercury 502:Cologne 646:Others 637:Winkie 552:Maquis 542:Gustav 192:  617:Tommy 592:Paddy 492:Billy 622:Tyke 248:2011 222:2008 190:ISBN 117:GCHQ 27:The 727:: 174:^ 438:e 431:t 424:v 407:. 349:. 328:. 307:. 286:. 250:. 224:. 198:. 20:)

Index

D-Day carrier pigeon cipher
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

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