Decode and Discover Trail

Explore the galleries with Paddy the Pigeon and discover clever gadgets and methods that have helped keep soldiers safe.
Decode and Discover Trail

Explore technology in the galleries with Paddy the Pigeon.

Paddy the Pigeon delivered messages during the Second World War and received a medal for his bravery. Explore with Paddy and discover clever gadgets and methods that have helped keep soldiers safe. 

As you complete the trail, decode the answers and crack the secret cipher code at the end. Good Luck!

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Explore further

Schools

Learning resources

Our growing selection of resources are designed to support young people’s learning needs in the classroom, at home or during a visit to the Museum.

Primary

Gravity and parachutes

Explore the history of parachutes and how the Army uses them. Design, make and test your own inspired by the historic designs in our collections.

Primary

Robots to the rescue (Coding Mission)

Explore how robotic devices help the Army, then work in teams using block-based programming and our Dash robots to complete a series of coding missions.

Video

Operation Science: Signals

Step into the world of Army signalling and discover some of the methods soldiers have used to communicate.

Home Activity

Morse Code Challenge

Can you crack the code? Try our Morse code challenge at home!

Story

The British Army entrusted its secrets to birdbrains

During the First World War, the Army often relied on pigeons to deliver important military information. These birds quickly gained a reputation as one of the most reliable forms of communication.