But the real human drama came with the creation of secret networks around the pigeon drops. In one of the most remarkable stories detailed by Corera, a Belgian priest named Joseph Raskin, working with a group of teachers and farmers, retrieved a pigeon in 1941 and began sending regular reports. His group, known as Leopold Vindictive, became one of the most effective grassroots intelligence networks in occupied Europe.
Unfortunately, the Gestapo eventually tracked them down, and many were executed. Their bravery, however, had contributed to the Allied understanding of Nazi operations in Belgium and France.
Risks and Consequences
Using pigeons was far from safe. German forces became aware of the pigeon drops and responded with brutal efficiency. Civilians caught in possession of one could face execution. To counteract the British plan, the Nazis used falcons to hunt pigeons and developed counterintelligence measures to intercept and exploit the system.
Moreover, Operation Columba was a gamble. Unlike wireless transmission or agent reporting, once a pigeon was dropped, there was no control over who would find it—friend or foe. Intelligence officials were constantly trying to verify the credibility of the information returned.
Nevertheless, in an era before satellite surveillance or real-time intelligence, the pigeon reports were sometimes the only timely glimpse into enemy-held territory shutdown123