The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1919-02-03
SKY CAMERA MEN
DID GREAT WORK
Photographers in British Air Serv,
Ice Had important Part
in War.
WERE AWKWARD At FIRST
sepy 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
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-
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 rabazon, the father" and or
ganizer of the Photographic section of
the Royal Air force, realized the emo
nous possibilities of air photographs
q 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
b Of flrst-rate value. Colonel Moore
DEabaxon was sent home to start or
eanising a Photographic branch Of the
flying corps.
Gradually Improved.
And 10 the army spying service went
on Improving month by month.
An the work Of the Aging 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-
tanean; they pictured the oil patches
on the seas which betoken the sudden
end Of 4 submarine.
TO dodge successfully the Hun flyers
and the ever-present "Archie," the
pilots had ~invaribly to fly at fairly
high altitudes-rarely at less than TO-
600 feet, and always on a zIgzag
eourse.
The smosains." as they were called
picture maps pieced together some
thing like q Jigsaw puzzle-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 to deduce, Sher'
lock Holmes like. a lengthy Indictment
Of the Huns overnight activities.
Signs OF an impending attack on O
big scale usually could be deduced by
the plainly apparent newly made roads
for tanks and by the massing Of mer
Il large numbers In support trenches
and on roads leading from back ares
billets.
One Of the most enterprising meth
ods 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 wal
gained.
These secret service agents were
mostly Frenchmen who knew the coun
try thoroughly and had a full insid,
knowledge Of the Hun military organi
ntion.
II there were any signs Of activit.
IN any particular sector Of the lin,
about which the high command wa
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 wa
then sent by q to q certain ~aerodrome
Used Special Machine.
At this aerodrome was a special.
constructed machine. The pilot wa,
usually q well-known Birmingham mo
tor cyclist racer. who specialized II
this particular work. He was bril-
liantly successful at what was IN
doubtedly 3 very risky game. His ef
forts were rewarded by many decora
sions, 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 a flight owe
the spot where he was to land. Some
times the work would be undertaken
~ day, but II the weather was favor
able, Il was mostly done by night.
The spy would get into his haske
eeat, % constructed that he could cas-
ny alp OF: the engine would be thor
oughly tested, and they would get int
the air.
They would make straight for tn
appointed spot. needless OF all search
lights and shells, and would then land
The landing spot was q good-sized feel
With m even surface
At m appointed time two or tire
days later, earlier IL necessary, tn
machine would return to the same spc
ard pick up the man again. Some
dimes, Il his Investigations were 9
particularly lengthy nature, he woul
return to our lines by another mean'
To Reproduce Accident.