Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-03-21
SKY CAMERA men
DID GREAT WORK
Photographers in Britisi, Air Serv-
ice Had Important Part
in War.
were AWKWARD AT FIRST
"Spy Dropping" Another Feature Of
Work Of Aviation Section peveI.
oped Toward End Of War
Much Information Gained.

Misunderstanding tremendous risks,
the British air force camera men
played to perfection in the war the
part OF the spy In the enemy's camp.
month or so after our first very
attenuated and ilequipped flying
squadron had gone over TO France
with the "Old Contemptibles," an OBJ
server flying one sunny day oxer the
enemy 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
to his people as souvenirs. When they
were developed he found they formed
an excellent pictorial map of the
BOche front lines.
Then it was that Lieutenant Colonel
Moore Rrahazon. 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 first-rate value. Colonel Moore
Brabazon was sent home to start or
ganizing 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
Ia
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 beteken the sudden
end of submarine.
To dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the ever-nresent archie" the
pilots had invaribly to fly at fairly
high altitudes-rarely at less than TO-,
600 feet, and always on zigzag
course.
The "mosans," rs they were called
picture maps pieced together some
thing like a jigsaw ruzzle-were made
from thousands of pictures taken with
lens pointing vertically toward the
ground.
A brigade intelligence officer, having
got complete SET of prints. taken an
hour before, sat down 10 deduce, Sher.
lock Holmes like. a lengthy indictment
of the Huns overnight activities.
Signs of an impending attack on
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 We're
mostly Frenchmen who knew the coun-
try thoroughly and had full inside
knowledge of the Hun military organi-
cation.
If 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
structions Here he was also supplied
with the necessary papers. and was
then sent by car to q certain aerodrome
Used Special Machine.
At this aerodrome was specially
constructed machine. The pilot was
usually well-known Birmingham mo-
tor cyclst racer, who specialized In
this particular work. He was bril-
liantly successful at what was un
doubtedly very risky game. His eff
forts were rewarded by many decora
tons, and he is still flying.
The spy having reported to his pilot
details would be arranged between
them, and frequently there was n re
hearsal in the form Of flight ovel
the spot where he was to land. Some
times the work would be undertaken
by day. hut IL the weather was favor
able, 1t was mostly done by night.
The spy would get into his haske
seat, so constructed that he could eas
lily slip off /; the engine would be thor
ouglily tested, and they would get int,
the air.
lucy Wtulo iiHh' S''"iSht W. w
appointed spot. needless of all search
lights and shells, and would then lane
The landing spot was good sized fiel
with an even surface.
At I'm appointed time two or thre
days later. earlier If necessary, tn
machine would return to tn same spo
aud pick up the man again. Som,
times. II his Investigations We're @
particularly lengthy nature, he woul
return To our lines by another means
To Reproduce Accident.