Hello all,
Not sure if this is the appropriate section or not.
In the book "The Long Road" by Oliver Clutton-Brock, about the POW camp Stalag Luft 7 Located at Bankau (Bakow), Silesia, is an aerial photo of the camp taken at 28,000 feet on 5th September 1944.
It is credited as being in the collection of Keele University, but now believed to be in the NCAP collection.
My question is: how might I find which squadron/unit took this picture, and what aircraft was/might have been used?
A fellow investigator would like a copy from NCAP but they can't immediately find it and have asked for more detail such as Sortie/frame reference if possible!
The camp is also relevant to my research as one of my Uncles crew was also POW at SL7.
Based on various accounts I've found and principally from the above book, I've plotted the likely walking and train route taken to Stalag IIIA Luckenwalde in Google Earth and have managed to overlay a scan of the above photo on the map to locate the site of SL7 as little trace remains nowadays.
Should anyone be interested I would be happy to share the map file that can be loaded to Google Earth.
Thanks in anticipation
Neil
Aerial Photograph
Aerial Photograph
Researching the crew of Lancaster ND867 (QR-V) 61 Squadron, lost 8th July 1944
Re: Aerial Photograph
Is it this one
- Stalag Luft Vll.jpg (60.94 KiB) Viewed 4870 times
There is no paralell in warfare, to such courage and determination in the face of danger, over so long a period. Such devotion, should never be forgotten.
Re: Aerial Photograph
AlanAlanW wrote:Is it this one
No, this is the one
- 1-File 09-02-2016, 09 52 56.jpg (62.74 KiB) Viewed 4867 times
Just googled and I think your picture is Stalag VII-A (no Luft)
Regards
Neil
Researching the crew of Lancaster ND867 (QR-V) 61 Squadron, lost 8th July 1944
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Re: Aerial Photograph
Gentlemen as you can see, I've moved this topic into the 'General' section.
Please continue this interesting topic.
Cheers,
John
Please continue this interesting topic.
Cheers,
John
K for Kitty Crew - Winthorpe, 1661 HCU's - stirlingaircraftsoc.raf38group.org/
630 Squadron - East Kirkby
" There is nothing glorious about war with the exception of those who served us so valiantly"
630 Squadron - East Kirkby
" There is nothing glorious about war with the exception of those who served us so valiantly"
Re: Aerial Photograph
RAF PRU photos are identified by sortie code, date and photo number. For example, B/189, 30.5.41, 602 is a photo of Kiel - it can be seen at NCAP and you can see the identification details on the side:
http://ncap.org.uk/frame/1-1-12-2-89?se ... e-text=yes
This photo shows Kiel harbour with the cruiser Admiral Hipper besides the floating dock. The next photo, 106G/5302, 14,4,45, 3120 shows the same ship bombed out in the dry dock on the middle right edge of the picture. The floating dock has capsized.
http://ncap.org.uk/frame/6-1-1-37-120?s ... e-text=yes
If you look at other photos in the series, such as 4123, you can see more damage, including the capsized cruiser Admiral Scheer in the bay not far from Hipper.
http://ncap.org.uk/frame/6-1-1-37-431?s ... e-text=yes
For their interpretation, and indeed to help identify other photos of interest, you can look at the Interpretation Reports in AIR34 at The National Archives, Kew.
As you know the date of your photo you can look for reports dated on or just after that date for the locality, remembering of course that the photos would have covered a fair sized area, not just the camp. When you find the relevant report, it will refer to earlier sorties of the area and note differences. In this way you can work back and see the development of the camp. To go forward from your date is more guesswork and you will have to look through the whole folders to find the IR’s you need. If you are doing a complete research therefore, it is best to start at the latest reports (from May 1945 I would think) and work your way back.
If you want further photos you should note the sortie code, date and photo number which are mentioned in the reports. There’s no guarantee that the photos still exist but they may do.
RAF PRU photos might be found at NCAP (I note that photos from JARIC are here. In the 1980s I was able to buy photos from them of post war Germany and Norway), IWM, RAF Museum, TNA, and the US National Archives. NCAP are the only ones likely to respond to sortie code details. I doubt the other sources can.
I assume NCAP photos are the ones that were at Keele University. The original negatives were destroyed I was told because they were nitrate material which could spontaneously combust. Keele therefore made positive microfilm copies of the photos. This is how they were when I did research in the 1980s and it was from these that they made copies. The ones I bought were of good quality.
If you can get a pair of close photos - a stereo pair - and view them through a stereoscope it's an amazing experience. Ship's masts come up and poke you in the eye! The detail becomes excellent.
http://ncap.org.uk/frame/1-1-12-2-89?se ... e-text=yes
This photo shows Kiel harbour with the cruiser Admiral Hipper besides the floating dock. The next photo, 106G/5302, 14,4,45, 3120 shows the same ship bombed out in the dry dock on the middle right edge of the picture. The floating dock has capsized.
http://ncap.org.uk/frame/6-1-1-37-120?s ... e-text=yes
If you look at other photos in the series, such as 4123, you can see more damage, including the capsized cruiser Admiral Scheer in the bay not far from Hipper.
http://ncap.org.uk/frame/6-1-1-37-431?s ... e-text=yes
For their interpretation, and indeed to help identify other photos of interest, you can look at the Interpretation Reports in AIR34 at The National Archives, Kew.
As you know the date of your photo you can look for reports dated on or just after that date for the locality, remembering of course that the photos would have covered a fair sized area, not just the camp. When you find the relevant report, it will refer to earlier sorties of the area and note differences. In this way you can work back and see the development of the camp. To go forward from your date is more guesswork and you will have to look through the whole folders to find the IR’s you need. If you are doing a complete research therefore, it is best to start at the latest reports (from May 1945 I would think) and work your way back.
If you want further photos you should note the sortie code, date and photo number which are mentioned in the reports. There’s no guarantee that the photos still exist but they may do.
RAF PRU photos might be found at NCAP (I note that photos from JARIC are here. In the 1980s I was able to buy photos from them of post war Germany and Norway), IWM, RAF Museum, TNA, and the US National Archives. NCAP are the only ones likely to respond to sortie code details. I doubt the other sources can.
I assume NCAP photos are the ones that were at Keele University. The original negatives were destroyed I was told because they were nitrate material which could spontaneously combust. Keele therefore made positive microfilm copies of the photos. This is how they were when I did research in the 1980s and it was from these that they made copies. The ones I bought were of good quality.
If you can get a pair of close photos - a stereo pair - and view them through a stereoscope it's an amazing experience. Ship's masts come up and poke you in the eye! The detail becomes excellent.