The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1919-02-14
SKY CAMERA MEN
DID GREAT WORK
Photographers in British Air Serv.
Ice Had Important Part
in War.
WERE AWKWARD AT FIRST
aspy Dropping" Another Feature OF
Work OF Aviation Section peyeI-
oped Toward End of War
Much information Gained.

I.nndOn.--TdSlng tremendous fisKs,
the British air force camera men
played to perfection In the war the
part Of the spy IN the enemys camp.
a month or so after our first very
attenuate1 and ill-equipped flying
squadron had gone over to France
/ with tile "Old Contemptibles,' an obs.
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.
Tfe wanted them only to send home
to his people as souvenirs. When they
were developed he found they formed
an excellent pictorial mup Of the
Boche front lines.
Then 1t was that Lieutenant Colonel
Moore Rrabazon, 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 statf.
He began To agitate for permission
To carry OH the work Of photographlng
the German activities from the air.
The early experiments turning out to
be Of ilrst-rate value, Colonel Moore
Rrabazon was sent home to start or
ganlzIng d 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 afioat SO
did the work OF the air spies extend.
They photographed U-boats resting on
| the bed Of the Adriatic and Mediter-
| sanean: they pictured the oil patches
on the seas which betoken the sudden
| end Of u submarine.
10 dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the eyer-present Archie" the
| pilots had inyarbIy to tiy at fairly
high attitudes rarely at less than TO-
600 feet, and always on Zigzag
course.
The emosalns,' as they were called
picture maps pleeed together some
| from thousands Of pictures taken with
! lens pointing vertically toward the
/ ground
l 4 brigade intelligence officer, having
| got complete set OF prints, taken an
i hour before, sat down to dednce, Sher.
! lack Holmes like, Il lengthy Indictment
OF the Huns overnight activities.
Signs Of m impending attack on a
biz scale usually could be deduced by
the plainly apparent newly made roads
for tanks and by the massing Of men
In large numbers III support trenches
! and on roads leading from back area
| billets.
One OF the most enterprising meth
! ods OF aefial intelligence was the irop-
! ping OF spies In the Hun lines aud
picking them UP after they had COM
| pleted their work. In this way much
information or 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
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
structions. Here he was also supplied
with the necessary papers. and was
then sent by car to a certain aerodrome.
Used Special Machine.
Al this aerodrome was d specially
constructed machine. The pilot was
usually a weil-known Birmingham mo-
tor cyclist racer. who specialized In
this particular work. He WAS bril-
liantly successful ut what was un-
doubtedly a very risky game. His eff
forts We're rewarded by many decora-
tions, and he Is still flying.
The spy having reported to hts pilot,
details would be arranged between
them, and frequently there was q re-
hearsai In the form of a flight over
the spot where he was to land. Some
times the work would be undertaken
bg day, but If 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.
ily Slip off the engine would be thor
oughly tested, ana 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 ianding spot was a good-sized field
With an even llrfaep
AT an appointed time two or three
days later, earlier If necessary. the
machine would return to tht 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
To Reproduce Accident.
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