British code breakers have been badgering away at the problem since November, but Gord Young, from Canada, reckons it only took him 17 minutes to figure out the message, and an old code book of his was the key.
Young explained that the message, from 1944, uses a WWI code, to outline where German troops were based in Normandy.
The Canadian said he used his uncle’s Royal Flying Corp [92 Sqd-Canadian] aerial observers’ book to crack the code.
The Government Communications Headquarters said they’d be interested in speaking to him about his findings.
The mysterious note was found in Surrey by 74-year-old David Martin, when he was making some home alterations.
He found the dead pigeon, with a little red canister attached to its leg. Inside the canister was small note with “Pigeon Service” on it and 27 handwritten blocks of code.
“We stand by our statement of 22 November 2012 that without access to the relevant codebooks and details of any additional encryption used, the message will remain impossible to decrypt,” said a GCHQ spokesperson.
Young said to the BBC: “Folks are trying to over-think this matter.
“It’s not complex,”
The coded message read:
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
Deciphered Young claims it says:
Artillery Observer At “K” Sector, Normandy
Have Panzers Know Directions
Final Note [confirming] Found Jerry’s Whereabouts
Determined Jerry’s Headquarters Front Posts
Counter Measures [against] Panzers Not Working
Panzer Attack – BlitzKnow [where] Local Dispatch Station
June 27th, 1526 hours
Approximately 250,000 pigeons were used during WWI and they were all given an ID number.
