Above All Unseen: The Royal Air Force’s Photographic Reconnaissance Units 1939-1945

The RAF’s “Photographic and Reconnasissance Units” used a variety of modified, unarmed aircraft during the Second World War to obtain an unprecedented amount of accurate and timely information on the enemy. This is the story of the personnel and their aircraft and equipment which flew more than 15,000 sorties throughout the war – in Europe, the Mediterranean, the Middle East and South East Asia. This text provides a comprehensive history of Britain’s aerial reconnaissance operations from early experimentation to the sophisticated techniques, developed as the war progressed. It includes the stories of many daring flights by unarmed aircraft over enemy territory in the pursuit of information. The illustrations include aircraft, cameras and personnel as well as numerous aerial photographs taken during the war.