Carrier pigeons were used during the First World War to relay information when other methods of communication were not possible. Pigeons were used on land, sea and even in the air, some travelling up to 100 miles through dangerous conditions to deliver important messages back to headquarters and bases.

Training the pigeons and caring for them were not easy tasks, and the British Expeditionary Force issued official guidelines for the men working in the Carrier Pigeon Service.

Here are some of the top tips from the 'Carrier Pigeons in War' pamphlet issued in March 1918, © IWM COLLECTIONS ACCESS EPH 167.