Us Official Photographs

Homing pigeons delivered to bomber near Bengasi

Homing pigeons used by the Ninth U.S. Air Force in the Middle East, are delivered to a bomber before taking off on a mission. The birds are trained by personnel of the RAF attached to the 376th Bomb Group, near Bengasi, Cirenaica, Libya, and every bomber carried two birds when it left on a combat mission. The pigeons have proved invaluable and in several cases have actually saved the lives of bomber crews forced down on the way to their home bases.