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Cher Ami — A Homing Pigeon That Saved Lives of Hundreds of Soldiers
A war hero who took a bullet in his chest to save the Lost Battalion
On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, prompting Austria to invade Serbia. This was the beginning of the Great War, now known as World War I. It was one of the deadliest conflicts in human history, with over 30 nations getting involved and as many as 40 million people estimated to have lost their lives.
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But humans weren’t the only casualties of the war. Around horses, mules, and donkeys died over the four years that the war raged, as well as 8 million other animals, including dogs, camels, and pigeons. In World War I, technology was far less advanced than it was in World War II. There were very few missiles, submarines, or tanks, and radio communication was extremely limited. As a result, on for the transport of artillery and for carrying messengers.
However, World War I was fought heavily in the trenches, so sending important messages by land was a very dangerous act. Not only were messengers regularly captured and killed, but their messages were intercepted by the enemy, often revealing sensitive information.
