Parachute used by carrier pigeons found after almost 80 years
The rare item was recently donated to the House on the Hill Toy Museum in Standsted, Essex, after being found in an old shoebox.
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Mundo Inglaterra
A parachute believed to have been used on pigeons to carry handwritten messages during World War II has been found after nearly 80 years.
The rare item was recently donated to the House on the Hill Toy Museum in Stansted, Essex, England, after it was discovered in an old shoebox, Fox News Digital reported , citing British news agency SWNS Media Group.
The parachute was found in the home of a deceased woman known as Mrs. Ellington. It was her relatives who realized the shoebox contained D-Day related items and documents, including the pigeon parachute, from one of the most significant days in World War II.
The parachute is believed to have been used in the lead-up to D-Day on June 6, 1944, the British news agency noted.
The unique parachute find is now part of a D-Day exhibit at the House on the Hill Toy Museum, which features vintage toys and artifacts.
The method of sending messages via carrier pigeon is "one of the oldest forms of long distance communication," according to International Military Antiques (IMA), a New Jersey-based company that sells collectible military items.
Carrier pigeons were first used by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago and were utilized during World War I, the IMA website says.
While technology was advancing during World War II, carrier pigeons were still a form of emergency communication at the time.
"Wherever the Army, Navy, Coast Guard or Marines went, chances are good that pigeons went too," IMA added.
According to IMA, the birds were typically identified by a unique name or number and sometimes carried a variety of information attached to their parachutes.
"Pigeons provided the only means of communication for some forward observation posts where terrain or proximity to enemy lines made it impossible to lay wire or use radios," it added.
Read also: Mystery: Portuguese pigeon with injured wing found in Mexico (Portuguese version)
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