Skip to main content
Service phase: Beta

This is a new way to search our records, which we're still working on. Alternatively you can search our existing catalogue, Discovery.

Piece

Evidence in camera: pre-war German photographs of U.K. 12 photographs have been included...

Catalogue reference: AIR 34/734

What’s it about?

This record is about the Evidence in camera: pre-war German photographs of U.K. 12 photographs have been included... dating from 1939 Apr.-1940 Nov. in the series Air Ministry: Central Interpretation Unit, predecessors and related bodies: Reports.... It is held at The National Archives, Kew.

Access information is unavailable

Sorry, information for accessing this record is currently unavailable online. Please try again later.

Full description and record details

Reference
AIR 34/734
Date
1939 Apr.-1940 Nov.
Description

Evidence in camera: pre-war German photographs of U.K.

12 photographs have been included within this folder of aerial views from negatives made by the German Luftwaffe over Britain before World War II. Items (1) and (2) were taken during the war. These are described below.

(1)"Coventry", print of Negative no 61633, annotated showing the outline of the Morris Works target and sites of bomb craters lying outside the intended target area, 27 November 1940, size: 30cm x 60cm.

(2)"Beckton", print from Negative no 61635, showing"Attack 7-9-40 Beckton gasworks", with barrage balloon or bomb falling towards the river Thames, 3 German bombers visible, 7 September 1940, size: 18cm x 36cm.

(3)"Bristol", annotated aerial photograph No 1018 L 73, taken at a scale of 1:17200, with key in German, showing (A) Gasworks of the Bristol Gas Company to the Floating Harbour (B) Albion and Wapping Dock (C) Woodyard and saw mills to the Floating Harbour (D) mill and grain warehouses (E) railway bridge over the Floating Harbour (F) cattle market, Temple Meads railway station (G) the Floating Harbour, 30 June 1940, size: 31cm x 31cm.

(4)"Acton-East London", annotated aerial photograph No 467 M 40, taken at a scale of 1:18000, with key in German centred on Wormwood Scrubs and White City Stadium landmarks along the flight path and within 12km distance from London, showing area around Acton, East Acton, Hammersmith, Willesden, emphasising (A) the aircraft engine factory of D Napier and Sons, Ltd; (B) H M Hobson, airplane component factory, June 1939, size: 34cm x 26cm.

(5)"Birkenhead - Wallasey", annotated aerial photograph No 602 L I 282, taken at a scale of 1:17000, with key in German, showing River Mersey in Wallasey-Birkenhead area with features, East Fleet, Cattle docks, key shows Wallasey Power station with Gasworks, (a) power plant (i) power plant boiler house (ii) turbine building (iii) switching room (iv) auxiliary building (v) boiler and turbine house (b) gasworks (i) coking plant (ii) 9 auxiliary buildings (iii) 2 gasometers about 45m diameter, 4 October 1939, size: 26cm x 31cm.

(6)"Liverpool", annotated aerial photograph No 602 RI 288, taken at a taken at a scale of 1:16000, with key in German, showing the Cold-Storage Depots at Canada harbour, Liverpool with harbour, road and canal landmarks, 4 October 1939, size: 26cm x 29cm.

(7)"Glasgow-Govan", annotated aerial photograph No 596 L 101, taken at a scale of 1:16000, with key in German, showing (A) Grain warehouses at Meadowside Quay (B) Fairfield dockyards (C) Thermotank Ltd, ship ventillation plant factory (D) dockyards of Harland & Wolff (E) 3 drydocks of the Clyde Navigation Trust (F) Princess Dock harbour basin (G) Queens Dock harbour basin (H) Harland & Wolff marine engine builders, 2 October 1939, size: 49cm x 26cm.

(8)"Middlesbrough", annotated aerial photograph No 586 S 72-76, taken at a scale of 1:12000, with key in German, showing the Building and Repair workshops on the bend of the Tees (north bank), 31 August 1939, 33cm x 27cm.

(9)"Coventry", annotated aerial photograph No 468 L 017, taken at a scale of 1:16200, with key in German, showing (A) the Morris Engineering Factory, car manufacturers (B) Rover Works, aircraft engines, 8 June 1939, 32cm x 26cm.

(10)"Portsmouth", annotated aerial photograph No 432 H 94, taken at a scale of 1:15300, with key in German, showing the Attached Plants: (i) 2 Flak mid-calibre guns (ii) control towers, in the naval dockyard area around Whale Island, 12 April 1939, size: 26cm x 30cm.

(11)"London-Silvertown", annotated aerial photograph No 467 M 25, taken at a scale of 1:19000, with key in German, showing the River Thames, large gasworks, Flak guns and (A) Royal Albert Dock & King George V Dock, (B) cold storage unit at Royal Albert Dock, (C) Large Mill, The Cooperative Wholesale Society Ltd, 4 June 1939, size: 34cm x 27cm.

(12)"Birmingham", annotated aerial photograph No 468 M 24, taken at a scale of 1:18000, with key in German, showing the Aeroengine Factory (Rover Co Ltd), 8 June 1939, size: 34cm x 26cm.

Held by
The National Archives, Kew
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Physical description
12 photograph(s)
Dimensions
see description
Closure status
Open Document, Open Description
Subjects
Topics
Manufacturing
Mutual societies
Railways
Trade and commerce
Air Force
Conflict
Weapons
Coal
Navy
Americas
Armed Forces (General Administration)
Operations, battles and campaigns
Prisons
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/C600331/

Series information

AIR 34

Air Ministry: Central Interpretation Unit, predecessors and related bodies: Reports...

See the series level description for more information about this record.

View series description

Catalogue hierarchy

Over 27 million records

This record is held at The National Archives, Kew

733,930 records

Within the department: AIR

Records created or inherited by the Air Ministry, the Royal Air Force, and related...

899 records

Within the series: AIR 34

Air Ministry: Central Interpretation Unit, predecessors and related bodies: Reports...

You are currently looking at the piece: AIR 34/734

Evidence in camera: pre-war German photographs of U.K. 12 photographs have been included...

You may be interested in

Related records

Records that share similar topics with this record.