Late airborne message

911car

Well-known member
A miraculous find: a small capsule of the model carried by messenger pigeons was recently found in a field in Alsace. It contained a message sent in 1910 by a JR171 officer during maneuvers in the area. Supposedly, the carrier pigeon lost its precious memo...

Capture.PNG
Capture.PNG
 
Sandmann said:
It’ something for a Museum :bravo:

Actually, I heard that the message will be exhibited at the Linge museum in Orbey (France). This museum is dedicated to the battle fought in 1915 between the French and Germans on the alsatian side of the Vosges mountains. They already have a mannequin of a JR171 officer in full order.
 
https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g196498-d5604716-i149626722-Musee_Memorial_Le_Linge-Orbey_Haut_Rhin_Grand_Est.html
 
911car said:
Sandmann said:
It’ something for a Museum :bravo:

Actually, I heard that the message will be exhibited at the Linge museum in Orbey (France). This museum is dedicated to the battle fought in 1915 between the French and Germans on the alsatian side of the Vosges mountains. They already have a mannequin of a JR171 officer in full order.

Here's a pre-1910 uniform from JR 171:

g6GAj45.jpg


John :)
 
Amazing that is sat outside for a century and the message is still intact! Fantastic! :bravo:
 
cptbob said:
Amazing that is sat outside for a century and the message is still intact! Fantastic! :bravo:

The capsules seal very well, the message being preserved is not surprising. Finding it is very surprising. It is a shame the used a can opener to open it though.
 
911car said:
A miraculous find: a small capsule of the model carried by messenger pigeons was recently found in a field in Alsace. It contained a message sent in 1910 by a JR171 officer during maneuvers in the area. Supposedly, the carrier pigeon lost its precious memo...

Capture.PNG
Capture.PNG

Here is a photo of an undamaged German pigeon capsule.
P1050347b.JPG
And a photo of a German carrier pigeon with a German capsule attached to its left leg. You can tell it is a German Pigeon because it is wearing a Pickelhaube. The Brieftauben Pickelhauben are very rare as they were often lost in flight.
4.jpg
 
There still was a Leutnant POTTHOFF (Fritz) at the JR171 during WWI. It was in the Stab and was Adjutant:

http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/499503

http://des.genealogy.net/search/show/698427

He ended the war as Hauptmann a. D. (außer Dienst) and was Platzmajor in Mainz. One find him in the ERL (Ehrenranglist 1914-18).

The name of the guy who signed the message is not GÄNSBERT but SCHUBERT. I could not find him....

Philippe
:wink:
 
Gustaf said:
911car said:
A miraculous find: a small capsule of the model carried by messenger pigeons was recently found in a field in Alsace. It contained a message sent in 1910 by a JR171 officer during maneuvers in the area. Supposedly, the carrier pigeon lost its precious memo...

Capture.PNG
Capture.PNG

Here is a photo of an undamaged German pigeon capsule.
P1050347b.JPG
And a photo of a German carrier pigeon with a German capsule attached to its left leg. You can tell it is a German Pigeon because it is wearing a Pickelhaube. The Brieftauben Pickelhauben are very rare as they were often lost in flight.
4.jpg

This is rare and great information. I had never seen an original one (the capsule, I mean). I was not aware that german messenger pigeons wore spiked helmets. They should be called Pickeltauben then.
 
The British carrier pigeons had to deal with these fellows! Lol. I saw this movie with my son when he was little.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0361089/mediaviewer/rm2827813376/?ft0=name&fv0=nm0000347&ft1=image_type&fv1=still_frame
 
Bet you think that's an eagle on top of a GDC helmet. Actually it's a German pigeon (nasty fellows).
 
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