# Chaffey Strain?



## JustinC87 (Jan 14, 2018)

Hello,

I run a blog about military pigeons and while working on an article about camouflaged pigeons, I discovered that a former US Army Signal Corps officer, Captain Ray Delhauer, had developed a naturally camouflaged strain in the 1930s in California. The birds were available in six different color mixtures for use in specific environments. Captain Delhauer called them Chaffeys, in honor of the name of the high school where he taught.

The birds were a mix of Black Bovyns, Red Putnams, and various pigeons that had served in WWI. When the US Army entered WWII, Captain Delhauer gave some of his Chaffeys to the government for use overseas.

I haven't been able to find any information about these birds after the War ended. Has anyone else heard of Chaffeys? My blog, which has more information, can be found here: Flying Incognito: Pigeons in Camouflage

Thanks,
Justin


----------



## Doves Witness (Apr 23, 2016)

Fascinating bit of history there! Perhaps try contacting the Ontario, California public library? They have an online search feature but it appears to be malfunctioning at the moment. Apparently Ray Delhauer lived there after the war, and taught at Chaffey High School in Ontario, CA, which used to have a pigeon club. The local library might have public records, possibly news of any pigeon club events such as sales of unusual breeds?






Library | City of Ontario, California







www.ontarioca.gov







http://catalog.ci.ontario.ca.us/polaris/


----------



## beachwood45789 (Jul 15, 2014)

Hi, i looked up captain Delhauer but did not find much about him after the war, if his his middle name is Rynan he died in 1952. i dont think getting camouflage pigeons would be to hard to get just mate different color pigeons together and see what you get, have you ever heard about a magician named Jasper Maskelyne he preformed one of the greatest feats of camouflage ever in ww2 he made the Suez canal disappear plus many other things to trick the german army. have you ever heard about the Kaiser the longest held P.O.W www.americanhistory.si.edu/blog/kaiser


----------

