Pigeons That Went to War

Gordon H. Hayes collection of materials on the U.S. Army 209th Signal Pigeon Company. MSS 294. Holt-Atherton Department of Special Collections, University of the Pacific Library. Biography / Administrative History During World War II, Hayes served in the "pigeon corps" of the U.S. Army, where his expertise with racing pigeons was recognized and he was placed in charge of a large group of new men with little experience in racing pigeons. The company started as the 829th Pigeon Platoon or the Africa Pigeon Corp. Later in South Italy, it was changed to the 6681st Signal Pigeon Co. (Prov). Lastly, the name was changed from the 6681st Signal Pigeon Co. to the 209th Signal Pigeon Co. Hayes's duties took him to the front lines of Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy and France, where he worked closely with the U.S. and British intelligence services. Often in the dangerous front lines or in covert operations, he worked with such famous pigeons as "G.I. Joe," "Yank," "Rain in the Face," and many more. When the war ended in Europe, Hayes finished his duty in the service as a Master Sergeant. Continuing as a successful bird breeder, the epitome of his career was the breeding of an American dark green and cobalt Indian ring-necked parakeet. The first in the world; a new color mutation. In 1981, Hayes self-published his book, The Pigeons That Went To War about his experiences in the army's pigeon corps. Scope and Content of Collection The collection documents the use of racing homer pigeons during World War II to carry messages. The collection consists primarily of publications, photographs, and documents related to WWII and the use of racing pigeons. Also included are messages carried by the pigeons.