Carrier pigeons on active service with the French Army using a converted bus (catalogue reference: ZPER 34/147 f425)
Over 350 Army Headquarters war diaries have been published online by The National Archives to mark the centenary of the Battle of Loos, the first main British offensive of the First World War which began on 25 September 1915.
These diaries contain 'behind the scenes' accounts of the battle, revealing the high-level decisions and tactics taken by HQ commanding officers. They also uncover strategies such as a carrier pigeon messenger service, for communicating the direction of artillery fire during the battle.
Pigeons at Loos: Heroes of the sky
The diary WO 95/123/4 includes statistics on how quickly the messages were delivered by pigeon, with a third of messages being delivered within 15 minutes. There is also a booklet in WO 95/123/10 entitled 'Organisation of a Carrier Pigeon Service for the Armies in France' which states:
‘a carrier pigeon can cover a distance of 150-200 miles at an average air speed of 30 miles an hour. To get the best out of him he must be conditioned as carefully as a greyhound.’
Read more about the role of pigeons at the Battle of Loos on our blog.
Gas attacks and criticism of army HQ strategy
The battle is noteworthy for the first strategic use of poison gas by the British Army. Diaries such as WO 95/158/4 include the original report from Douglas Haig on the lead up to, during and after the Battle of Loos, including lists of casualties.
William Spencer, author and military records specialist at The National Archives, said: ‘The diaries from Army HQ describe the rare “behind the scenes” accounts and strategies which drove the course of the war. When you think of the Battle of Loos, your initial thought probably won't be about the value of pigeons in coordinating the operations. That is why making these diaries available online is important, not just for researchers and historians but for public understanding, bringing to light the full scale of operations during the war.’
Find out more at a free talk at The National Archives on Thursday 22 October 2015, or look at our Flickr gallery of highlights from the HQ Army Diaries.
The post Battle of Loos 'behind the scenes' revealed appeared first on The National Archives.