Carrier pigeons in war, March 1918

Pigeons were used to carry coded messages to and from the front . With a maximum speed of 96 kilometres an hour (60 mph) they could quickly fly up and out of range of enemy fire. They could also be relied upon when other forms of communication had failed - 95 per cent of messages sent by pigeon were received.

This booklet was used by Corporal W C Jackson, during World War One (1914-1918), whilst serving with 5th Battalion The Suffolk Regiment and the Suffolk Yeomanry.