Gilpin observer., 1919-02-27
SKY CAMERA MEN
DID Great WORK
Photographers in British Air Serv.
ice Had Important Part
in War.
we're AWKWARD At FIRST
spy Dropping" Another Feature ef
Nork 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 a much
cherished pocket camera and exposed
some films over the enemy's ground be-
aeath him.
He wanted them only to send home
20 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 first-rate value, Colonel Moore
Brabazon was sent home to start or
ganizing 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 submarine.
To dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the ever-present "Archie," the
pilots had invaribly to fly at fairly
high altltudes-rarely at less than 1O,-
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
lens pointing vertically toward the
ground.
A brigade intelligence officer, having
got n 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
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 coun-
try thoroughly and had full inside
knowledge Of the Hun military organi-
zation.
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 certain aerodrome.
Used Special Machine.
At this aerodrome was specially
constructed machine. The pilot was
usually a well-known Birmingham mo-
tor cycllst racer. who specialized in
mn RI p,rIa In hrtI-
liantly successful at what was un.
doubtedly very risky game. His ef.
forts were rewarded by many decora.
tions, and he Is still flying.
The spy having reported to his pilot.
details would be arranged between
them. and frequently there was a 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 II the weather was favor
able, 1t was mostly done by night.
The spy would get into his basket
seat. so constructed that he could eas.
lily 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
with nm even surface.
At an appointed time two or three
days Inter, earlier II necessary. the
machine would return to tn same spot
and pick up the man again. Some.
times, II his investigations were OF
particularly lengthy nature. he would
return to our lines by another means,
| Ia Renrodiice AceldAnA