As a keen historic aviation photographer I’m planning to produce a panel of 15photographs to submit to the Royal Photographic Society for an “Associateship”. These photos must capture the spirit of Bomber Command during the WWII period. The majority will have to be contemporary (obviously) but I can mix non copyright images to make montages. So – here’s the challenge (should you choose to accept it!), what would you consider to be your most iconic images which reflect what Bomber Command was and did during WWII -either at the time and what is still available to photograph…..
By: mhuxt - 6th March 2012 at 11:20
Most iconic bomber image I’ve ever seen is one by S/L Howard Lees, Photographic Officer of 8 Group (thanks Neilly!).
It’s been published in Ian Thirsk’s book on the Mosquito. Bulged-bay Mosquito taking off from Wyton, wingtips apparently straining, with a formation of B-17s visible in the sky behind.
A classic. Day and night, USA and UK, bludgeon and rapier; such a feeling of power and common purpose.
By: Dan Johnson - 3rd March 2012 at 05:12
A long time ago I read “The Nuremberg Raid” by Martin Middlebrook.
When I saw your post, the first thing to come to mind was an image from that book. It’s a picture of P/O Cyril Barton VC
He looks about 12. All I could think then, and what I still think now, based on that picture, is we sure ask a lot of our kids.
Cyril, or someone similar should should show up somewhere in your work.
By: Ian Hunt - 2nd March 2012 at 22:34
Bomber Command images
Given the scale of their losses, may I suggest that a picture of the wreckage of a shot-down bomber shouldn’t be omitted.
Lest we forget.
Ian
By: aevans10 - 2nd March 2012 at 22:23
That’s geat, keep them coming. I’ve put a quick example of what I’m trying to achieve on my Flikr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/f22images/6947413433/in/photostream
You probably can read the words unfortunately, but if you’ve read Don Charlwoods “No moon tonight” you might recognise them .
By: austernj673 - 2nd March 2012 at 21:53
I always smile at the start of ‘Brylcream boys’ with the Erk sentry freezing cold at the end of the runway and the little lad asking if he was a pilot.
Everyone a small cog in a very large machine…….
By: Arabella-Cox - 2nd March 2012 at 19:41
Don’t overlook the well-wishers gathered at the runway’s end to see the Squadrons off.
By: aevans10 - 2nd March 2012 at 18:51
Come on take up my challenge!
Thanks for the considered responses, very grateful. I fully agree I’ve got to look at the people and places as well as the planes. I’m hope to also to use quotes so I’m interested any words or images that really get an emotional reaction. Now I’m guessing that most members of this forum have some emotional attachment to these old aircraft or that period in history so come on guys how about getting this out -it won’t hurt!
On a slightly different tack – anyone got any copies of those 39-45 Bomber Command images which aren’t copyrighted they would be kind enough to share?
Your support would be very much appreciated. 🙂
By: Paul - 2nd March 2012 at 11:38
I believe that you’ve got to look a bit beyond the obvious and start to look at the personal level:
For example:
The erks working in all weathers,
There is a good study of 51sqn photos from the Nuremberg raid, from the initial briefing to anxious commanders waiting for the returns, and the tired crews being debriefed. These types of image have a story to tell in them because of the people there, much more powerful than a static bomber.
Somehow you will need to capture the fact that Britain was a huge aircraft carrier, from Teesside to the South coast. A huge undertaking. Nobody has yet captured the enormity of Bomber command in 1945 with its massive infrastructure.
A comparison of a base in 1945 with all the associated activity and a disused base today returned to agriculture would be good. Having spoken to veterans from aircrew, groundcrew and admin folk I am still in awe of just how big an undertaking the whole thing was. It is hard to imagine as you stand on an empty disused airfield that up to 2,000 people could be working on each of these bases and there was a lot of them!
You could also do with a picture or two of surviving veterans from the 40’s and now.
The Imperial war museum collections are great for browsing through.
Try and get beyond the typical picture of a Lancaster, (There were many more planes in bomber command – a bit like the spit and BoB) and concentrate on the people that did the work.
Just my two p’s worth.
Paul.
By: Creaking Door - 2nd March 2012 at 10:12
That’s a tricky one!
I suppose the most iconic images for me are from film footage of the era; the one that most captures it for me is the amateur colour footage of a squadron of Lancasters working their way along a taxiway before an operation.
I also think that (staged) footage of a bomb-aimer, from below, looking through his bombsite lit with flashes of explosions is very effective. Also the footage of the silhouette of a bomber over a burning target with target indicators falling but that isn’t going to be possible to reproduce.
Still photography-wise I think the colour photographs taken at a Stirling bomber squadron are about the best that there are but those would be difficult (even if there were any Stirling bombers left) to recreate.
Sorry, I’m not sure I’ve been much help there.
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March 1, 2012 at 10:38 pm