The Role of Birds in World War Two

The Role of Birds in World War Two written by Nicholas Milton published by

Pen & Sword Books - £25.00 - Hardback - Pages 224

A love of birds has always been an important part of the British way of life but in wartime birds came into their own, helping to define our national identity. One the most popular bird books ever, Watching Birds, was published in 1940 while songs like There’ll be Bluebirds over the White Cliffs of Dover epitomized the blitz spirit. Birds even featured in wartime propaganda movies like the 1941 classic The First of the Few starring Leslie Howard where they inspired the design of the Spitfire. Along the coast flooding to prevent a German invasion helped the avocet make a remarkable return while the black redstart found an unlikely home in our bombed-out buildings.

As interesting as the birds were some of the people who watched them. Matthew Rankin and Eric Duffey counted seabirds while looking for U-boats. Tom Harrisson, the mastermind behind Mass Observation, watched people ‘as if they were birds’ while POW Guy Madoc wrote a truly unique book on Malayan birds, typed on paper stolen from the Japanese commandant’s office. For Field Marshall Alan Brooke, Britain’s top soldier, filming birds was his way of coping with the continual demands of Winston Churchill. In comparison Peter Scott was a wildfowler who was roused by Adolf Hitler before the war but after serving with distinction in the Royal Navy became one of the greatest naturalists of his generation.

This interesting book looks at the role of various birds during World War Two, but the book also looks at the relationship between humans and birds during the war. Birds were used for numerous benefits during the war but especially used in films and books in varying locations as a patriotic symbol. Depending on where you were, you could be having contact with birds from all around the coast or at sea during fighting and convoys, you’ve also got soldiers having to have contact with birds on land and in different countries.

Now I’ve never been a bird watcher or anything close, but the title of the book intrigued me, and I’m really glad I got to read it as it was an interesting book and much more than you think it’s going to be. I actually feel like I’ve learnt a lot more, not just about war but a lot more about birds and the positives in little ways they bought during wartime. I would certainly recommend buying this book as it is a little out there but a really good and unusual read.