Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1919-02-19
SKY CAMERA MEN
Did Great WORK
Photographers in British kir Serv-
ice Had important Part
in War.
were AWKWARD At FIRST
nspy Dropping" Another Feature OF
Work of Aviation Section Devei-
oped Toward End of War
Much information Gained.

London.-Taking tremendous risks.
the British air force camera men
MAYED to perfection in the war the
mart Of the spy in the enemy's camp.
month or so after our first very
attenuated and ill-equipped flying
souadron had gone over to France
with the "Old Contemptibles," an OBJ
server flying one sunny day over the
onomv lines took with him q much
cherished pocket camera and exposed
some films over the enemy's ground be-
meath him.
He wanted them only to send home
70 his people as souvenirs. When they
were developed he found they formed
an excellent pictorial map of the
Boche front lines
Then 1t was that Lieutenant Colonel
Moore. Brabazon, the father" and or
ganizer of the Photographic section of
the Royal Air force, realized the enor-
nous possibilities of air photographs
as an aid to the intelligence staff.
He began to agitate for permission
TO carry on the work of photographing
the German activities from the air.
The early experiments turning out to
be of frst.rate value, Colonel Moore
Brabazon was sent home to start or
ganlzlng a Photographic branch of the
flying corps.
Gradually Improved.
And so the army spying service went
on improving month by month.
As the work of the flying arm of the
service extended ashore and afloat so
did the work Of the air spies extend
They photographed U-boats resting on
the bed of the Adriatic and Mediter-
ranean; they pictured the oil patches
on the seas which betoken the sudden
end of n submarine.
To dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the eyer-present "Archie," the
pilots had invariably to fly at fairly
high altitudes-rarely at less than TO-
900 feet, and always on a zigzag
course
The 'mosains," as they were called
picture maps pieced together some
thing like jigsaw puzzle-were made
from thousands of pictures taken with
a lens pointing vertically toward the
ground.
A brigade intelligence officer. having
got complete set Of prints, taken an
hour before, sat down to deduce, Sher-
lock Holmes like, lengthy indictment
Of the Huns overnight activities.
Signs of an impending attack on a
big scale usually could be deduced by
the plainly apparent newly made roads
for tanks and by the massing of men
in large numbers In support trenches
and on roads leading from back area
blllets.
One of the most enterprising meth
DDS Of aerial intelligence was the drop
ping Of spies In the Hun lines and
picking them up after they had COM
pleted their work. In this way much
Information of vital Importance was
gained.
These secret service agents were
mostly Frenchmen who knew the coun-
try thoroughly and had a full inside
knowledge of the Hun military organi-
zaton.
there were any signs of activity
IN any particular sector of the line
about which the high command was
anxious, one Of these agents was de-
JAILED to report to headquarters for in
structons. Here he was also supplied
win the necessary papers, and was
'neh sent by car to certain aerodrome.
Used Special Machine.
at this aerodrome was a specially
constructed machine. The pilot was
usually well-known Birmingham mo-
Tor cyclist racer, who specialized in
TINS particular work. He was brill
Hanty successful at what was I'M
uoubtediy very risky game. His eff
forts were rewarded by many decora-
IONS and he is still flying.
Inc spy having reported to his pilot,
"DETAILS would be arranged between
men, and frequently there was re-
learsai In the form of a flight over
tne spot where he was to land. Some
'iie work would be undertaken.
Dy day but if the weather was favor
"p.e' IL was mostly done by night.
ine spy would get into his basket
seat so constructed that he could cas-
ny sup on; the engine would be thor
the air. "oN
ney would make straight for the
appointed spot, needless of all search