The Pigeon as Postman
Series
- Series Name
- War Office Official Topical Budget
Issue
Story
- Story No. within this Issue
- 1 / 5
- Summary
- [SUBTITLE]: "Taken up on motor cycles to the trenches the birds except for casualties, never fail to reach ‘home’ behind the lines where the telegraphist sends on the message." Soldier puts pigeon into basket. Two motorcyclists with baskets on the back driving down country road. View down at officers inside trench as soldier arrives with basket. Close-up of officer in trench writing in notebook. Close-up of soldier attaching note to pigeon’s foot. Soldier releases pigeon. Pigeon landing on roof of large coop. Soldier brings message to telegraphist, who taps it out. Final shot shows the ‘message’ received, on an official form: ‘From ADAS Place. SA 31.10.17. 2.30 pm. Pigeon Service. To Blue Force. Notice - Please do not shoot homing pigeons. They are performing valuable national work. Captain H Dickinson. No of copies sent by PS - 2’. [Filmed in England]
- Keywords
- Motorcycling; Communications; Animals; Military
- Length of story (in feet)
- 77
This series is held by:
Film Archive
- Name
- Imperial War Museum Film and Video Archive
- film@iwm.org.uk
- Web
- http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/film
- Phone
- 020 7416 5291
- Fax
- 020 7416 5379
- Address
- Lambeth Road
London SE1 6HZ - Notes
- The IWM also preserves the original nitrate film copies for the World War II period of British Paramount News, Gaumont British News and Universal News.
- Series held
- View all series held by Imperial War Museum Film and Video Archive
- Name
- British Film Institute (BFI)
- For BFI National Archive enquiries:
nonfictioncurators@bfi.org.uk
For commercial/footage reuse enquiries:
footage.films@bfi.org.uk - Web
- http://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web
- Phone
- 020 7255 1444
- Fax
- 020 7580 7503
- Address
- 21 Stephen Street
London W1T 1LN - Notes
- The BFI National Archive also preserves the original nitrate film copies of British Movietone News, British Paramount News, Empire News Bulletin, Gaumont British News, Gaumont Graphic, Gaumont Sound News and Universal News (the World War II years are covered by the Imperial War Museum).
- Series held
- View all series held by British Film Institute (BFI)
How to cite this record
'The Pigeon as Postman', War Office Official Topical Budget Issue No. 324-1, 7 Nov 1917. https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/newsonscreen/search/index.php/story/126294 (Accessed 01 Feb 2025)