大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Louise Angell of the CSV Action Desk, on behalf of Peter Chamberlain. The author understands the sites terms and conditions.

Langley Mill had its fair share of Racing Pigeon Lofts. The Main area being around Bridge street. During the war numbers were kept at a minimum because of a shortage of food so all manner of ways to keep them was devised ie toasted bread, gleaning after the farmers had cut the corn and if you kept a few Hens, an allocated supply of Hen Pellets
from the pet shop at Eastwood. Another way was having a friend at the flourmill who got you the sweepings up, or if really desperate you raided the pig bins. We had Pig Bins - one at the junction of Milnhay Road and Brookvale Road in Langley Mill. It was placed in the lane going to the Sewerage farm but was not used much as we did not waste much in those days, or I should say, did not have much to waste in those days.

I recall 2or3 lofts in Langley Mill took the Kings Shilling so to speak, and a couple of pigeons were selected to accompany bombers on air raids over France and Germany and released with a message if the bomber crew got into trouble.

If you got a pigeon with a message you had to deliver it as quickly as possible to the
Police Station and you went up in everyones esteem. Each loft had a Log Book Showing pigeons taken and pigeons returned and if anyone has one tucked away I would love to see it, as the only one I have been privileged to see was for a loft in Leicestershire.

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