RAF airmen preparing
three F24 and two F52
cameras for mounting in a
de Havilland Mosquito
aircraft. © Imperial War
Museum (CH 10545).
Imperial War Museum
images may not be
copied without the
permission of the Imperial
War Museum. SC493658

The collection of Royal Air Force aerial photographs of Scotland taken during the National Survey (1946-50) and now held in the RCAHMS Air Photographs Collection, comprises over 280,000 vertical and oblique images. A recent conservation audit of the 1940s negative films held at RCAHMS brought to light one of the hidden aspects of this archive and stimulated a wider search for similar material.

Often overlooked, the clearing shots made at the beginning and sometimes at the end of each sortie were rediscovered. These images, at either end of the film proper, often show aircraft, airfield buildings and airmen at work, captured on film when the shutters of obliquely-mounted cameras in photographic reconnaissance (PR) aircraft were triggered several times to check that film was loaded and winding properly prior to a sortie, and to finish the film once the aircraft had returned. Several images in the RCAHMS collection show PR de Havilland Mosquitoes, Supermarine Spitfires, Avro Ansons and Avro Lancasters parked in hangars and at dispersals, with attendant airmen and vehicles. From more recent films, there are also examples showing English Electric Canberra aircraft.

Also of note are the Photographic Reconnaissance Film Reports occasionally found in the film cans, which give the aircraft serial number, details of the types of cameras used and the size of lenses fitted, the number of frames taken by each camera and any atmospheric or technical problems encountered during the sortie. Each report is signed off by the technician responsible for fitting and removing the cameras and films, by the NCO in charge and by the navigator or pilot of the aircraft.

106G/UK1140, frame P 0008, 22 January 1946

Not a clearing shot, but worthy of note as one of the few examples of a PR aircraft capturing its own image on film. This Spitfire PR Mk.19, of 541 Squadron, is revealed by its shadow as it passes low over Windygates, Fife.
SC683121

CPE/Scot/UK233, 4 July 1947

This image was taken by the forward-facing camera of a Mosquito of 58 Squadron, on returning from a photographic sortie to Fife and Angus. The nose of a Spitfire PR Mk.19, with 5-bladed propellor turned by a Rolls Royce Griffon engine, is visible in the hangar.
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CPE/Scot/UK335 P, 5 April 1948

This Anson Mk.XI, framed in a hangar doorway, was imaged by a Spitfire PR Mk.19 of 541 Squadron. This unit was based at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire, at this time, along with the Ansons of 82 Squadron. Note the elliptical wingtip of the imaging Spitfire, identified on the Film Report as PM 500, which was fitted with an F24 camera in the port oblique station. PM 500 subsequently went on to complete this sortie by photographing Campbeltown, Argyll.
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CPE/Scot/UK336 P, 8 April 1948

A Mosquito PR Mk.34 imaged by a Spitfire PR Mk.19 of 541 Squadron, while based at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. The Film Report for this sortie indicates that the imaging aircraft is again Spitfire PM 500, which was fitted with an F24 camera in the port oblique station; the aircraft went on to complete a sortie to Kintyre, Argyll.
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541/RAF/436 P, 21 February 1950

Two Spitfire PR Mk.19s of 541 Squadron on the apron at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. The Film Report for this sortie indicates that the imaging aircraft is Spitfire PM 500, which went on to complete a sortie to Dirleton, East Lothian, with its port oblique F24 camera. Note the open battery hatch in the rear fuselage of the nearest aircraft.
SC683123

58/RAF/4957 N, 22 February 1962

Three airmen, dressed for February weather, photographed by a forward-facing camera mounted in the glazed nose of a Canberra PR Mk.7 aircraft of No.58 Squadron. The airmen are presumably involved in readying the aircraft for flight.
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58/RAF/5249 P, 29 June 1962

The forward fuselage of a Canberra PR Mk.7 is visible in this image, taken by the port oblique camera of an adjacent aircraft. The open crew access hatch can be seen towards the nose of the aircraft (right), while the starboard oblique and starboard outer (F44) camera ports are just visible to the left of the nose wheel. The airman seen walking towards the camera has the rank of Leading Aircraftsman.
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58/RAF/6128 S, 15 January 1964

A Canberra PR Mk.3 aircraft photographed by the starboard oblique camera of an adjacent Canberra. Note that the crew are aboard the aircraft, preparing for a sortie. The natural metal finish of these aircraft had not yet been replaced by tactical camouflage livery at this date.
SC828704

764/RN/127, 5 February 1970

The lower fuselage of a Royal Navy Hawker Hunter FGA Mk.11 aircraft, in the process of being refuelled, and the under-wing fuel tank of another, can be seen in the upper portion of this image, taken by the starboard oblique camera of a third Hunter. This aircraft type was operated by the Royal Naval School of Photography while based at Lossiemouth, Moray, as the mount of pilots on the RN Aerial Reconnaissance course.
SC884213

Click on the images above to view the full-size version. Prints of all images can be obtained by contacting RCAHMS directly at info@rcahms.gov.uk quoting the name of the site or building, the SC number, the size and nature of each image required. A price list of services for photographs, digital images and other copies can be found under the price list page.