January Mailbag: more than just about pigeons

I have a friend who is always saying that we should revert to Pigeon Post and solve all our modern day mailing problems. And so the January Mailbag has been hauled around the world right into your email box by a team of pigeons!

Pigeon post is the use of homing pigeons to carry messages. Pigeons were effective as messengers due to their natural homing abilities. The pigeons were transported to a destination in cages, where they would be attached with messages, then the pigeon would naturally fly back to its home where the recipient could read the message. They have been used in many places around the world. Pigeons have also been used to great effect in military situations, and are in this case referred to as war pigeon.¹

To read about the history of pigeon post please click here.

A four legged creature was in the news in Australia in early December. I'm thrilled to learn from K.M. in NSW that Australia's greatest war horse Bill the Bastard is to be enshrined in bronze.

Bill became a legend at the Battle of Romani (in the Middle East during WWI), where he and Major Michael Shanahan rescued four Tasmanian troops from certain death on the battlefield.

Sculptor Carl Valerius is honouring Bill and Major Shanahan's legacy with a true-to-scale statue depicting their rescue effort during the battle, in which Major Shanahan lost his left leg.²

Mr Valerius said the statue would help to educate Australians about a widely overlooked part of Anzac history.

"He's just an uncanny, incredible animal. We've got to know about it; it's got to be in our psyche," he said.

"I'm not trying to glorify war, but I am trying desperately to recognise what this horse did, and especially Shanahan and the four men." ²

Please read more of the story by following the link below and also learn how Bill the Bastard received his famous Aussie name.