Cresco plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1913-1945, 1919-01-31
SKY CAMERA Men
DID Great WORK
Photographers in British Air Serv,
ice Had Importan: Part
in War.
were AWKWARD At FIRST
"spy Dropping" Another Feature OF
Work Of Aviation Section 0eveI.
oped Toward End Of War;
Much Information Gained.

Work Of Aviation Section DeveI.
oped Toward End Of War;
Much Information Gained.
London.-Taking tremendous risks,
the British air force camera men
played to perfection in the war the
part Of the spy in the enemy's camp.
A month or SO after our first very
attenuated and ill-eQuipped flying
squadron had gone over to France
with the "Old Contemptibles," an OBJ
server flying one sunny day over the
enemy lines took with him much.
cherished pocket camera and exposed
some films over the enemy's ground be-
meath him. 49,,
he wanted them only to send home
to his people as souvenirs. When they
were developed he found they formed
an excellent pictorial map Of the
Boche front lines. f.
Then it was that Lieutenant Colonel
Noore-B rabazon, the father" and or
ganizer Of the Photographic section OF
the Royal Air force, realized the enor-
nous possibilities Of air photograph
as an aid to the Intelligence stan.
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 first.rate value. Colonel Moore
Brabazon was sent home to start or
panizlne 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 adoat so
did the work of the air spies extend.
They photographed U-boats resting on
the bed of the Adriatic and 2editer-
ranean; they pictured the oil patches
on the seas which betoken the sudden
end Of submarine.
To dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the ever.present "Archie," the
pilots had invaribly to fly at fairly
high altitudes-rareIy at less than TO-
600 feet, and always on zigzag
course. rs. s,.- ,,.
The "mosains," as they were called
picture maps pleced together some
thing like q jigsaw puzzle-were made
from thousands Of pictures taken with
q lens pointing vertically toward the
ground.
A brigade intelligence officer, having
got . complete set Of prints, taken IN
hour before, sat down to deduce, Sher'
lock Holmes like, a 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
billets.
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 eoun-
try thoroughly and had full inside
knowledge Of the Hun military OrgaDf-
cation. -" q
II 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-
tailed to report to headquarters for in
struetions. Here he was also supplied
with the necessary papers. and was
then sent by car to certain aerodrome.
.. Used Special Machine.
At this aerodrome was q specially
constructed machine. The pilot was
usually a well-known Birmingham mo-
tor cyclist racer, who specialized in
this particular work. He was BRIL-
liantly successful at what was un-
doubte1ly very risky game. His ef-
forts were rewarded by many decora-
lions, and he is still flying. =
The spy having reported to his pilot,
details would be arranged between
them, and frequently there was q re.
hearsal in the form of flight over
the spot where he was to land. Some.
times the work would be undertaken
by day, but If the weather was favor
able. it was mostly done by night.
The spy would get into his basket
seat, so constructed that he could cas-.
fly slip off; the engine would be thor
oughly tested, and they would get into
the air.
They would make straight for the
appointed spot, needless of all search
lights and shells, and would then land.
The landing spot was a good-sized field