Pigeons in the Navy
As a matter of
history, the U.S. Navy, late in the 19th Century, sent Professor Francis Marion,
U.S. Naval Academy, to Belgium to obtain information on the care and training
of homing pigeons and as a result in 1899 the U.S. Navy's Manual for the
Care and Training of Homing Pigeons was published. This manual required
that a flying book be kept on each pigeon and recorded such information as number
of flights, length, and rate of miles per hour. According to a Bureau of Navigation
(now BUPERS) enlisted code book of 1919, pigeon trainers (or Pigeoneers as they
were known) were a part of the Quartermaster rating and were identified as Quartermaster
(Pigeon), Q.M.(P).
The advent of radio tended to dampen interest in pigeons. However, as late as
1926 the pigeon service in the Navy consisted of 12 lofts and approximately
800 birds. Pigeons at that time were used only in the aviation branch of the
Navy inasmuch as they were dependent upon a fixed base or house. As late as
1942, orders were issued to expand the flock for use between dirigibles and
their naval air stations.
During World War II, the Pigeoneers were identified as Specialist X and had
the abbreviation SPX(PI). On 1 January 1948, when the Navy converted to a peacetime
rating structure, the SPX(PI) was changed to the Exclusive Emergency Service
rating of ESX and identified by Navy Job Classification Code 87200 and later
ESX-9792. When the new peacetime rating structure was promulgated, the separate
identity of the Pigeoneers was lost as far as full time active duty was concerned
and personnel were transferred to one of the peacetime general service ratings
(now called general ratings). Because of this, the last date possible for a
person in this specialty to be identified, employed as a Pigeoneer, and on active
duty would have been 1 January 1948.
All exclusive emergency service ratings (except one) were disestablished by
the Secretary of the Navy on 10 January 1961. That is the official date for
the deletion of the ESX-9792 (pigeon trainer). The reason the Rating Review
Board gave for recommending disestablishment was the lack of written requirements
for anyone with that skill.
As a matter of interest, the following is quoted from the Director, Naval Communications,
to the Bureau of Navigation in 1921: "It has been brought to the attention
of this office that occasionally men who have been made expert pigeon trainers
have been transferred by commanding officers to other duties, and the work and
care of training the birds is left to inexperienced hands." The Bureau
of Navigation in Circular Letter #88 of 10 March 1921 to all commanding officers
responded: "All men who have qualified as expert pigeon trainers will be
immediately assigned to such duty and will not be transferred to other details
without reference to the Bureau of Navigation. In case expert pigeon trainers
are now attached to air stations on which there are no pigeon lofts, please
report to the Bureau."
Finally, duties of the Pigeoneers were to feed, train, and otherwise care for
the various strains of pigeons for use in communications, night flying and homing.
Information Courtesy of Naval Historical Center
