IWM Photo Collection

[smudgersmith218]

Gents,

Just returned from an interesting 4 hours at the IWM Lambeth Photo Library at Astral St.

I had a number of photographs I wanted to obtain, so equipped with the reference numbers I set about filling my boots.

Managed to find the photo’s in question and ordered in double quick time, so with time in hand I started to thumb through the various volumes of albums. Within an hour I chanced upon a number of uncaptioned photos of 218 Squadron, Short Stirling / Lancaster period. To my amazement none of these where recorded on the IWM collection on line data base. !!

In all I found over 30 additional photos which were not recorded either in their card index system or on-line.

I of course pointed this out to the young chap, who was more than grateful for something to do. !!!

Therefore gents, if any of you do find yourself down Lambeth way, make an appointment to view the photo collection, BUT PLEASE keep in mind that there are some real gems not mentioned either on – line or in their card index system.

Regards

Steve

[K4KittyCrew]

Just goes to show Steve, with a bit of perseverance and nous, you never know what one might find. When you think of all the records that are kept, I guess it stands to reason that some docos and alike find there way into the big 'black hole' .............. Good find, mate.

Just noticed that was post number one thousand .......... how time flys.
John

[smudgersmith218]

Hi John,

To be honest mate it is frustrating that one of the countries foremost collections of military photographs is in such disarray. I appreciate staffing and financial constraints are a facture but blimey I am sure given the opportunity fellow researchers would jump at the opportunity to correctly catalogue and record the collection free of charge, I know I personally would. These are unique photographs, historically important not only for the country but world wide, but yet in no resemblance of order. I viewed a No.12 Squadron Fairey Battle photo, it was titled a unidentified Hawker Hurricane, the photograph was reversed, making the squadron codes PH into HP, thus becoming a unidentified Hurricane !!!!! NO EXCUSE !!!!

It is a shame that we cannot mimic the Yanks, Canadians, Aussie and Kiwi's in documenting such precious documentation.

Cheers

Steve

[PAFG]

I'm in correspondence with Sebastian Cox at the AHB about the poor cataloguing of documents at TNA. He's hoping to put some pressure on them to improve the reference system. My chief gripe is that the search engine doesn't recognise original file references, so it's hard to find documents mentioned in the meticulously referenced AHB Narratives, which give the original file references in copious numbers. All H.Q. B.C.'s files were dumped into one reference - AIR14 - and there's no structure within the 14,000+ files contained. Barking.

On the plus side, it's good to hear of discoveries being made in the IWM archives - my experience at TNA is of finding stuff catalogued but missing - half the files seem suspiciously lightweight

Richard

[Charles]

Steve

I too was at the IWM photo library a couple of years ago, and there was a lot of uncatalogued stuff. Did you go into the back room? (you have to be taken by a member of staff). There are also some documents relating to the photographs -- I found the original material relating to the King's visit to Scampton after the Dams Raid in one, and worked out that it was a press officer who must have coined the word "dam buster", as this predates the first mention in the press itself.

There's a whole story that could be written about the work done by the official RAF photographers. They were mainly Fleet Street snappers who went straight into the RAF at the beginning of the war, usually with commissions.

Charles

[smudgersmith218]

I'm in correspondence with Sebastian Cox at the AHB about the poor cataloguing of documents at TNA. He's hoping to put some pressure on them to improve the reference system. My chief gripe is that the search engine doesn't recognise original file references, so it's hard to find documents mentioned in the meticulously referenced AHB Narratives, which give the original file references in copious numbers. All H.Q. B.C.'s files were dumped into one reference - AIR14 - and there's no structure within the 14,000+ files contained. Barking.

On the plus side, it's good to hear of discoveries being made in the IWM archives - my experience at TNA is of finding stuff catalogued but missing - half the files seem suspiciously lightweight

Richard

Richard,

A number of years ago, I went went through every volume of the Escape and Evasion reports looking for all relating to 3 Group, used Bill Chorley's books as a start point.

What surprised me was the number of reports recorded as being available only to find them "Missing" or misplaced, sadly a proportion of those that were there were in a rather poor condition. On two occasions I felt obliged to bring the condition of the volumes to the notice of staff ( who were very helpful ).

In all I copied over 200 E&E Reports and 60 + K Reports, I know from using Bill's Book as a reference there were originally many more, how very sad that these documents are lost, I know for certain that a number were stolen a number of years ago.

Blimey what with the weather and the sad state of our countries aviation documentation, I think a walk down the pub with the dogs for a pint of London Pride ( real beer ) is in order to shake me out of this depression

Steve