American Air Museum in Britain

IWM catalogue record

This contains information written on the back of the original print and some of it may be inaccurate.

A ground crewman of the 390th Bomb Group unloads a combat camera from a B-17 Flying Fortress. Image stamped on reverse: ‘Keystone Press.’ [stamp], ‘Passed for publication 27 Aug 1943.’ [stamp] and ‘281019.’ [Censor no.] Printed caption on reverse: 'PHOTO MEN SERVE WITH FLYING FORTRESSES. When it comes to bombing, pictures tell the story. Skilled photographers serving with the U.S. 8th Air Force Flying Fortress Group are trained to get the pictures, process them and send prints and negatives to higher Headquarters - all on split-second schedule. Automatic cameras are installed in the Forts before take-off, each equipped with an intervalometer. Over the target the 'plane's radio operator merely flick a switch ... the camera does the rest, swapping consecutive shots at predetermined intervals. On return, photo men are on hand to meet the Forts. Films are rushed by Jeep to the Photo Laboratory, processed at high speed, then dispatched to Wing H by special courier. But mission shots are only ... of the photo section. It also handles everything from public relations and engineering to battle damage and identification pictures. This series of pictures shows the men of the Photo section of a Flying Fortress Group at work . U.S. Pool/F.KEYSTONE SG. Removing camera from plane.'

Connections