RAF PIGEON 'GUSTAVE' - THE FIRST TO BRING BACK A REUTERS MESSAGE FROM NORMANDY [Allocated Title]

Log in to create clips, download free screeners and save clips/films in Collections. Click here to find out more.


  • Title: RAF PIGEON 'GUSTAVE' - THE FIRST TO BRING BACK A REUTERS MESSAGE FROM NORMANDY [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: ACB 3
  • Other titles:
  • Summary:
  • Description: The pigeon lands on the loft; a corporal hands the bird to a sergeant, who tries to detach the message (three versions, until the sergeant manages to detach and open it successfully); a Dakota is seen on the runway, with a pigeon basket placed beside it - the pigeon is taken from the basket, and placed in a carrier which is placed on a paratrooper's back; the paratrooper gets into a Dakota (USAF). A close-up of the message, which comes back from Normandy: [Pigeon Message Form] To: Reuters from Taylor. "We are just 20 miles or so off the beaches..." (Message tells news from the beaches, describes the state of signals' communications, and lists the aircraft which have passed overhead "since 05.45").
  • Access Conditions: IWM Attribution: © IWM
  • Featured Period: 1939-1945
  • Production Date: 1944-06-07
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Royal Air Force (Production company) Hodges, Ken (Production individual)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: AP.F (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: aircraft, United States - transport: Douglas C-47 Dakota (object name) animals, birds: pigeon (object name) communications, British air - message: carrier pigeon (object name) GB, England & Thorney Island, Hants <RAF Station> (geography)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: B&W Sound format: Silent Soundtrack language: None Title language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: 35mm Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Footage: 418 ft; Running time: 4 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Notes: Technical: print is part of a can comprising ACB 1-3 (total length 1007 ft). Fine grain is part of a can comprising ACB 2 and 3 (total length 695 ft). SP length of ACB 3 is 426 ft.
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    ACB 3

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:
Register