Weird Inventions That Saved Lives: Pigeon Vest

Blogger: Amber Lemus

Continuing our series on Weird Inventions That Saved Lives, today we discover a device created by the company, Maidenform. Most women are familiar with this company and have probably purchased one of their products at one point or another. However, did you know this company played an important role in saving lives during WWII?

It is well known that during WWII, many companies that made products during peacetime had to find a way to repurpose and fit into a wartime economy. Maidenform was not exempt from this phenomenon. But how does a company that usually makes undergarments for women adapt to wartime? By making something to strap to soldier’s chests, of course. 

I know this sounds very strange, but bear with me for a moment, because it actually made a lot of sense.

The most reliable form of communication for the US and its allies during WWII were carrier pigeons. These were less likely to be intercepted by the enemy and 95% of the messages delivered this way were successful. There was actually an army of 56,000 pigeons trained to serve in WWII. But while the pigeons could fly themselves back to base, getting them on the ground with the units who needed them was the challenge. That’s where Maidenform came in. 

Pigeon vest blueprint. 
 National Museum of American History, Archives Center,
Maidenform Collection, 1922-1997. 

Maidenform designed and produced two devices that aided in getting the pigeons where they needed to be. The first option was for them to travel along with the soldiers. They designed “pigeon vests” that securely cradled the birds to the chest of the paratroopers as they deployed to their positions. The vest was shaped to the pigeon’s body, holding true to Maidenform’s slogan, “There’s a Maiden Form for every type of figure.” The pigeon vest was strapped to the outer jacket of the paratrooper, as pictured below. The birds could then be released with a message when the unit was on the ground and needed to send one.

Pigeon in pigeon vest harnessed to a paratrooper.
National Museum of American History, Archives Center,
Maidenform Collection, 1922-1997. 

The other method was to deliver pigeons to troops already on the ground. Maidenform also designed and produced “pigeon parachutes” which attached to a cage and would float the birds down to the troops below. 

Between these two devices, the army could use the birds to communicate effectively and without enemy interference. 

As strange as these inventions are, they saved many lives, howbeit in an indirect way. Carrier pigeons saved thousands during WWII, including one instance when a message to call off a bombing was successfully delivered by a pigeon, saving the lives of over 1,000 allied troops. 

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award, Amber Lemus writes enthralling non-fiction for children and adults alike. She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior, so her writing is centered around faith, family and history.

She lives at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with her prince charming and two boys. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at www.AmberLemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Alberta's Edward Prince Ranch

 by Anita Mae Draper

Prince of Wales "E.P." Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta, Canada

On January 21, 1936, the Calgary Herald announced that Alberta's "Rancher King" Edward Prince of Wales, had succeeded his father King George V to the throne and that of all the places in Canada to choose from Edward still owned a pretty ranch in the foothills of Southern Alberta which he had bought back in 1919. 

View through tree branches of Duke of Windsor's EP Ranch, near High River, Alberta. ca 1950s. Glenbow Archives

While on his 1919 cross Canada tour, Edward was hosted by George Lane, founder of the Calgary Stampede and owner of the Bar U Ranch which bordered the Running N Ranch, then owned by Frank Bedingfeld. Frank and his mother had homesteaded the ranch in 1886, but when Frank married in 1908, his mother returned to England. By that time, the ranch consisted of 1,440 acres of owned land with much more being leased from the government. After serving in WW1, Frank wanted to return to England with his family, so they put the Running N up for sale. While visiting and exploring the Bar U area, the Prince of Wales saw the opportunity, bought Frank's ranch, and renamed it the E.P. (Edward Prince) Ranch.   

Since it was impossible for the Prince of Wales to stay and oversee his new venture, he hired Professor William Carlyle, then veterinarian of the Bar U and Eden Valley, to run the E.P. Ranch in his absence.

Edward Prince of Wales, George Lane, William Levi Carlyle. EP Ranch, 1919. Glenbow Archives

The Alberta Register of Historic Places has a page for the E.P. Ranch and mentions that same trip in 1919. "On passing through Winnipeg on his return to England, Edward gave a speech in which he said that he wanted to have a permanent home in western Canada, "a place where I can come sometimes and live for a while. To this end I recently purchased a small ranch in southern Alberta and I shall look forward to developing it and making it my own." In his memoirs, he later wrote in a similar vein, claiming that he had been "overwhelmed by an irresistible longing to immerse myself, if only momentarily, in the simple life of the western prairies." Edward did not own other properties outside Great Britain, and, although it is not evident that he provided direct input into the operation of the ranch, the property and its buildings were handsomely upgraded during the 1920's, and became known as the E.P. Ranch. High quality cattle and horses were also brought in to breed and be raised under the best conditions." 

Helen Carlyle and Stallion "Tiny", EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. ca 1920s. Glenbow Archives

Helen Carlyle, daughter of W.L. Carlyle, manager of the E.P. Ranch, is shown above holding a Dartmoor pony which had been imported during 1919-1920. Along with the Dartmoor ponies, Edward had Shorthorn cattle, Shropshire sheep, and Clydesdale horses imported to his Alberta Ranch from the breeding farms in his Duchy of Cornwall in the United Kingdom.

"Climsland Broadhooks", prize Shorthorn bull, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. ca 1920. Glenbow Archives

The E.P. Ranch had many educational and business visitors over the years. In the above photo, the Duke of Devonshire stands in the back and listens to Johnny Watson, herdsman, talk about the attributes of the prizewinning shorthorn bull, "Climsland Broadhooks".

Herd of sheep on EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. ca 1920. Glenbow Archives

Edward wouldn't return to Canada until the fall of 1923 to attend the sale of his breeding stock. It was important to ensure the breeding improvement and excellence of the stock, he'd told his father King George V who had expressed no wish to see his son spend time as a western rancher when there were royal duties to attend. But Edward was a avid sportsman and would often sneak out of official functions to woo a lady, play golf, or find something more interesting to do with his time.

I'll continue the Rancher King's story on the 5th of June, but here's a teaser.... 

Prince of Wales on Dartmoor pony, EP Ranch, Pekisko, Alberta. Sep 1923. Glenbow Archives

Can you tell what kind of rancher Edward Prince of Wales turned out to be from the above photo of him taken in September 1923 at the E.P. Ranch?

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com 

The History of Zoos

By Michelle Shocklee

Hubby and I visited the Nashville zoo last weekend to celebrate our 32nd wedding anniversary! Some folks may not find that as the most romantic place to go, but we enjoyed seeing the animals and spending time together. It also got me thinking about zoos in general and the history behind them.

Zoos haven't always looked the way they do today. The first "zoos" were actually private collections of animals owned by the elite. These menageries, as they were called, belonged to those individuals who wished to show off their wealth and power.

Queen Hatshepsut, zoo owner

The earliest known zoo was recently discovered during excavations in Egypt. Dating back to 3500 BC, the remains of hippos, elephants, baboons, and wildcats have been found. Queen Hatshepsut is said to have established a zoo during her reign as the third female Pharaoh of Egypt around 1490 BC. 

Medieval Europe continued the tradition of maintaining collections of wild animals by some monarchs, monasteries, and municipalities.  Records of expeditions to distant places exist where exotic animals such as giraffes, elephants, bears, dolphins, and birds were sought. I was pleased to read that ancient zoo owners employed animal handlers to make sure their animals thrived and reproduced.

Ancient Egyptian wall art with giraffe, baboon, and monkeys

Zoos also existed in later civilizations, including China, Greece, and Rome. The Aztec emperor Montezuma II, in what is today Mexico, maintained one of the earliest animal collections in the Western Hemisphere. It was destroyed by Hernan Cortes during the Spanish conquest in 1520.

Royal menagerie

Henry I created what was effectively England’s first zoo in 1110, when he had a wall built to enclose his collection of animals at Woodstock, Oxfordshire. Among the animals on display were lions, tigers, porcupines, and camels.  

A century later, it was moved to the Tower of London where it remained for 600 years. Exotic animals were often given as royal gifts. In 1235, Henry III received three lions from Emperor Frederick II. He was also given a polar bear, which was allowed to swim in the Tower moat, and in 1255 the King of France gave him the first elephant to be seen in Britain since Roman times. In 1832, after a string of incidents where the animals escaped and attacked each other, visitors, and staff, the Duke of Wellington – Constable of the Tower – ordered the animals to be moved to their current home in Regent’s Park.

Victorian Zoo

The first modern zoo, built in 1793, opened in Paris, France. The menageries of French aristrocrats, including the king and queen, were taken by leaders of the French Revolution and relocated to the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes.

The first zoo in America was established in Philadelphia. Chartered on March 21, 1859, its opening was delayed due to the Civil War. On July 1, 1874, the zoo officially opened with 1,000 animals on exhibit. Three thousand visitors paid twenty-five cents each to tour the 33-acre zoo where they were treated to first-time views of buffalo, deer, foxes, wolves, and monkeys, as well as 67 bird species and 15 reptiles. By 1876, zoo attendance increased to over 680,000 visitors annually, including President Ulysses S. Grant. 

Zoos shifted their focus to conservation during the 1970s, a theme that thankfully continues today. Most zoos are home to animals considered endangered of extinction as well as animals rarely seen in the wild. 

Hubby and I thoroughly enjoyed our trip to the zoo! Your turn! When is the last time you visited the zoo? Which zoo was it and what is your favorite animal?

Michelle Shocklee is the award-winning author of The Planter's Daughter and The Widow of Rose Hill. Her historical novella set in the New Mexico Territory is included in The Mail-Order Brides Collection. Michelle and her husband of thirty-two years make their home in Tennessee. Connect with her at www.MichelleShocklee.com.

THE WIDOW OF ROSE HILL

Widowed during the war, Natalie Ellis finds herself solely responsible for Rose Hill plantation. When Union troops arrive with a proclamation freeing the slaves, all seems lost. How can she run the plantation without slaves? In order to save her son’s inheritance she strikes a deal with the arrogant, albeit handsome, Colonel Maish. In exchange for use of her family’s property, the army will provide workers to bring in her cotton crop. But as her admiration for the colonel grows, a shocking secret is uncovered. Can she trust him with her heart and her young, fatherless son?

https://www.amazon.com/Michelle-Shocklee/e/B01MYD4TRE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1486004955&sr=8-1