Were these pigeons part of the war effort? (From Swindon Advertiser)

Were these pigeons part of the war effort?

4:00pm Friday 14th August 2009 in

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A PENSIONER has asked Adver readers to help him make sense of a black and white photograph of pigeon racing enthusiasts.

The picture, which is of the Pigeon Service Signals of the North East Sector Home Guard, was discovered by Brian Gale among his late brother Vic Gale’s possessions.

Brian, 72, of Bath Road, Old Town, knew his older brother was heavily into pigeon racing, but does not understand what the group pictured was responsible for.

“I was rather intrigued – it was like something out of Dad’s Army,” said Brian.

Do you know any of the people in this photograph?

Tell us your Home Guard stories below...

“I thought it was rather amazing seeing all these guys lined up for the Home Guard with their pigeons.

“I have no idea what they did.”

Vic, who died of cancer three years ago, was secretary of the Haydon Street Homing Society, a Swindon pigeon racing group which was particularly popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

The photograph was developed at Swindon’s L Maylott Photographers on Faringdon Road, and is believed to have been taken around the early 1940s.

Brian said although his brother does not appear in the photograph, he does recognise many of the faces in the picture as local pigeon racers he met.

He is hoping that someone will recognise the people in the picture and help him understand what the pigeons were used for.

“I would expect it to be the grandchildren of the people in the photograph that might get in touch,” said Brian.

Brian said that when his family lived in Armstrong Street, Broadgreen, his brother kept around 60 pigeons in a loft in the back garden.

The 2,000 to 3,000 homing pigeons would be shipped from Southampton to the Channel Islands or France then released.

The pigeon racers would congregate at Vic’s house and wait for the phone call from abroad to let them know the birds were on their way home.

“When the message got back to Swindon that the birds were released at a certain time all the lads would go home and wait for their pigeons,” said Brian.

When they arrived back the birds would then be clocked into a timer to record when they had got back to establish which pigeon had won the race.

Anyone with information about the picture should call the Advertiser office on 01793 501806.