One of the most influential changes in warfare between the First and Second World Wars was in aviation. Aircraft had been in use during the First World War, but aviation was still a new technology, with the first flight occurring less than twenty years earlier. By the Second World War, aircraft had greatly improved capabilities. Increases in speed and cargo capacity meant that aerial attacks could now strike deep within enemy territory, with devastating effect. The B-17 Flying Fortress epitomised this transformation, becoming a symbol of the Allied air forces’ power in the sky. However, the effectiveness of these new aircraft depended heavily on accurate information about their targets. The solution was aerial reconnaissance.

Although aeroplanes were used for reconnaissance during the First World War, the task was often assigned to pilots in regular fighter squadrons rather than dedicated units. This meant that the intelligence gathered was fragmented and often not fully utilised by forces on the ground. By the Second World War however, specialised reconnaissance units were established to address this need. In the Royal Air Force, the first of these was a unit that came to be known as No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (1 PRU).

Photographic Reconnaissance Units¹

The PRUs used aircraft that had been specially modified for the precision photography required. These planes were typically the same models as those flown by combat squadrons, but often had fewer guns than their counterparts. This made room for advanced photographic equipment and reduced the aircraft’s weight, allowing for higher speeds and altitudes. In some cases, the reconnaissance planes were completely unarmed, leaving crews vulnerable to attack by enemy aircraft. PRU pilots were tasked with covering vast areas of enemy territory to identify troop movements, map potential targets for bomber missions, and record the results of previous missions. The range of territory that needed to be photographed meant that crews were asked to fly deep behind enemy lines, raising the odds of interception, weather events, mechanical issues, and other dangers.

Flight Lieutenant William Baker Parker²

Flight Lieutenant William Parker was a New Zealand pilot serving with 1 PRU. Flying out of Heston in England and a base in France, the unit was responsible for much of the reconnaissance of German ports and defences in Europe. In the early years of the war, the German air presence in Europe made reconnaissance flights particularly dangerous. A member of Parker's unit was shot down by German fighters after they saw the trail of condensation from his Spitfire as it flew at altitude over France. Anti-aircraft fire was also common in the European theatre, and both allied and enemy installations presented a threat, as they could not always distinguish between enemy or ally when spotting aircraft at high altitudes. 

Parker’s early missions were focused on the English Channel rather than mainland Europe. He joined the unit in July 1940, shortly after the evacuation of Dunkirk, when Britain was bracing for a possible German invasion. The PRU’s intelligence provided important information that was used to target the ports where boats and other vessels were being prepared for the potential cross-Channel attack.

In October 1940, he was caught out by a pair of Messerschmitts, the feared German fighters, shortly after takeoff. The German aircraft had been patrolling high above Kent and had dropped out of the sun to attack. His Spitfire was instantly set alight, and Parker bailed out. As he parachuted from the aircraft, he passed out due to the thin oxygen at altitude. To make matters worse, burning fuel had been splashed on him as he exited the aircraft, igniting his uniform.

When he regained consciousness, Parker found himself still airborne and aflame, unable to extinguish the fire. In a grim moment of clarity, he released his parachute harness, knowing that he would die either way.

In a twist of fate, the parachute’s release mechanism malfunctioned, and he was left dangling by his ankles in mid-air, which directed the flames away from his body. This accident saved his life. He landed with a broken arm and some minor burns, made a full recovery, and later returned to 1 PRU. Parker survived the war and returned to New Zealand, where he died at the age of 80 in 1995. 

Warrant Officer Francis David Colin Brown³

Warrant Officer Francis David Colin Brown was a pilot with No. 681 Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF), a photographic reconnaissance unit based at Dum Dum in eastern India. Formed in January 1943, the squadron was part of the RAF’s Photo Reconnaissance Force under Air Command South East Asia. Its aircraft, including modified Spitfires, were tasked with high-altitude, long-range missions across Burma (now Myanmar), South East Asia, and the southern coast of China. As well as facing danger from Japanese forces, pilots contended with tropical weather and the harsh geography of the region. The route from India to target areas required flights over hills and mountain ranges—a task made more hazardous during the monsoon season. 

In June 1943, while returning from a mission over South-East Asia, Colin Brown ran into trouble. When approaching the mountains that lay between him and the airfield, he found himself facing ‘a wall of cloud stretching across the horizon as far as he could see’. The cloud extended across the entire horizon, rising far above the ceiling of his Spitfire. With insufficient fuel to go around the storm and no safe route below due to mountainous terrain, he chose to fly through it. 

Inside the storm, the engine struggled in freezing temperatures, and visibility dropped to near zero. As he flew further into the weather, he was buffeted about, and the instruments on his dashboard started to show that he was losing control of the aircraft. Brown’s instruments showed that the plane had entered a spin. Unable to visually confirm the spin, he attempted to recover, but blacked out due to the G-forces.

When Brown regained consciousness, he was no longer in the seat of his cockpit, but falling through the air above the Ganges Delta. Once he pulled the ripcord on his parachute he could see his Spitfire below him, falling out of the sky absent its wings and tail which had been torn from the body. In the violence of the tempest, Brown had somehow been thrown clear of his plane, and was now able to float safely down to the ground with his parachute. Seemingly uninjured, Brown later discovered that his spine had been damaged. He was repatriated to New Zealand, where he recovered and lived until he passed in 2019, age 97. 

Conclusion 

While the missions of the Photographic Reconnaissance Units lacked the glamour of the air aces or the bomber crews, they were arguably more critical to the Allied war effort. Without the intelligence they gathered, many air operations would have been flown blind. PRU pilots often faced greater danger, flying alone and unarmed deep behind enemy lines. William Parker and Francis David Colin Brown are just two examples of the many airmen who flew these perilous missions, and against the odds, returned home. Many others were not so fortunate. 

References

¹ 'Camera in the air', Evening Post, 26 October 1943, p.3.

² Henry Leopold Thompson, New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vol. I), (Wellington, 1953), pp.116-9.

³ Henry Leopold Thompson, New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vol. III), (Wellington, 1953), pp.298-299.