Photo-recon Mossie Story

[Martin Bull]

Just to show that AA collecting can broaden your mind.....

I'm ashamed to say ( :rolleyes: ) that I've never been that interested in RAF Photo-recon in WWII, looking on Fighter and Bomber Command as being more 'glamorous' than people stooging about taking photos.

Purchasing the AA photo-recon set as a collection filler recently led me to buy ( via Amazon - big discount ! ) a memoir called 'Focus On Europe' written by a PR Mosquito pilot of 544 Squadron at Benson.

What a lovely read - author Ron Foster DFC has a very straightforward writing style ; it's like listening to a veteran reminiscing. The risks and fear of these missions, and the high loss rate among his comrades, are most vividly conveyed as is the thrill of flying Mosquitoes. My eyes have honestly been opened as to PR's exploits and I'm amazed at how ignorant I'd been. :o

So you see - AA collecting can be good for you ! ;)

[DCRanger]

That's another book you have sold me :D Also bought the Last Will And Testement software to qualify for the free postage and packing. How sad is that?

You are right though, this is a much neglected subject though I have read a couple of books in the distant past. So long ago that I remember very little of them. One was about the early days of photo recon about ? Cotton who was involved in some clandestine aerial photography just before the war started. He was also involved in the early days of PRU.

Another book was about a phot interpreter who spotted the early signs of the V weapons amongst other things. Constance Babbington Smith?

[Martin Bull]

I think your man was Sidney Cotton, and the Constance Babington Smith book is 'Evidence In Camera' , first published in the 50s and a classic book at that.

[DCRanger]

Thats them. Thanks MB, might have to star looking for them as well.

[shuttle]

The R V Jones 'Most Secret War' book pays a lot of respect to the PRU and Tony Hill in particular. He took some fantastic photo's of the 'Wurzburg' radar at Bruneval which led to the famous raid. Sadly killed later in the war. Ray Holmes, who rammed the Do.17 over Victoria during the BoB, also went on to serve in the PRU and has written a great book about it, 'Sky Spy (Airlife)'.

:) Shuttle

[Sailor.]

Interesting side note to the Bruneval Raid was that the lads of 2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment who carried it out got a personal thank you on the 50th anniversery of the raid. It came from the second most famous member of 617 Squadron, Leonard Cheshire VC.

[Andreas]

Purchasing the AA photo-recon set as a collection filler recently led me to buy ( via Amazon - big discount ! ) a memoir called 'Focus On Europe' written by a PR Mosquito pilot of 544 Squadron at Benson.


Thank you for the information, just ordered the book at amazon! :D I think it is time for Corgi to do a new 1/72 Mosquito PR, what about RAF 680 Sqn. "BARBER POLE", Italy 1944 !?