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D-Day carrier pigeon cipher
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The D-Day carrier pigeon cipher is an encrypted message found in 2012 attached to the skeleton of a carrier pigeon that was inside a home chimney in Bletchingley, Surrey, in the southeast United Kingdom. The message was handwritten on a Pigeon Service form and consists of 27 five-letter groups, with the first and last group identical. The message was addressed to "XO2," which is thought to be Bomber Command, and is signed "W Stot Sjt." It is believed to have been sent from France on June 6, 1944 during the World War II D-day invasion. As of November, 2012, the message had not been deciphered. Britain's GCHQ, the successor to Bletchley Park has asked for any information the public might have about the message. The cipher text reads: :AOAKN HVPKD FNFJW YIDDC :RQXSR DJHFP GOVFN MIAPX :PABUZ WYYNP CMPNW HJRZH :NLXKG MEMKK ONOIB AKEEQ :WAOTA RBQRH DJOFM TPZEH :LKXGH RGGHT JRZCQ FNKTQ :KLDTS FQIRW AOAKN 27 1525/6 The form indicates that two copies of the message were sent. Additional notations, in a color different from the code groups and signature, are "NURP 40 TW 194" and "NURP 37 OK 76." These identify the specific birds used. NURP stands for "National Union of Racing Pigeons." Solution proposals Gord Young, from Peterborough, in Ontario, proposed a solution based on a World War I code book he inherited. The solution relies on the assumptions of Stott being taught by a WWI trainer and spelling similar to those of WWI. The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) remain convinced the message is impossible to decryp without the relevant codebooks and details of any additional encryption used. :AOAKN - Artillery Observer At "K" Sector, Normandy :HVPKD - Have Panzers Know Directions :FNFJW - Final Note Found Jerry's Whereabouts :DJHFP - Determined Jerry's Headquarters Front Posts :CMPNW - Counter Measures Panzers Not Working :PABLIZ - Panzer Attack - Blitz :KLDTS - Know Local Dispatch Station :27 / 1526 / 6 - June 27th, 1526 hours Take note that this 'book' was written before Panzers actually existed.
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