Two Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees practising photography whilst wearing gas masks to simulate working under active service conditions, during training at No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool.
To honor the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe), Historic England is sharing a collection about the history of wartime filmmaking and photography – from rare shots from Pinewood Studios to the pioneering women of the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF).
Photography plays a crucial role in documenting historical events, making it an invaluable medium for capturing the past. This collection, which includes over 150 photographs curated by Historic England, serves as an excellent example of this importance.
The collection provides us, 80 years later, with a priceless photographic archive, put together by Dorothy "Knicky" Chapman. Chapman was part of the first group of recruits at the WAAF's No 2 School of Photography in Blackpool before moving to the iconic Pinewood Studios.
Her perspective as a female wartime photographer is truly special, offering us never-before-seen images from WAAF training, including performing photographic work under simulated active service conditions.
A group of women from the Women's Auxiliary Air Force, in military uniform, posed with their cameras outside the RAF's No 2 School of Photography (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Portrait of the first intake of WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) recruits to undertake training at the RAF's No. 2 School of Photography in Blackpool (Image credit: Historic England Archive)An RAF officer instructing a group of Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees in the use of the mobile photographic darkroom, at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Two Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees sorting through piles of aerial photographic prints during training at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (Image credit: Historic England Archive)
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said:
"By sharing this collection, we hope to honor the contributions of these women photographers and filmmakers to the war effort, preserving their stories as an important part of our national heritage."
A Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainee handling a roll of photographic film whilst wearing an eye mask to simulate working in the dark, during the Trade Test Board examination at the end of the training course at the No 2 School of Photography in Blackpool, England (Image credit: Historic England Archive)A group of Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees observing an RAF Instructor demonstrating lens experiments on the optical disc, at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (Image credit: Historic England Archive)A Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainee preparing safelights prior to printing, during training at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees practising map reading and plotting of aerial photographs, during training at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (Image credit: Historic England Archive)
Wartime filmmaking
The world-famous Pinewood Studios served as the hub for wartime filmmaking and was the base for government film units. The studio produced films that shaped public perception and garnered international support for the Allied Forces.
One key figure in this effort was Chapman, who helped create military films that offered glimpses into RAF operations. These films were crucial to lifting spirits and keeping morale high during the challenging wartime period.
Portrait of WAAF Sergeant Knicky Knapman (later Chapman) with Walter Bird's camera, at RAF Iver Heath (Pinewood Studios) (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Still from the film 'Operational Height' produced by the RAF Film Production Unit during the Second World War, showing RAF officers tethering a barrage balloon (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Still from a film produced by the RAF Film Production Unit during the Second World War, showing a 'hurribomber' - a fighter bomber variant of the Hawker Hurricane - in flight (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Still from a film produced by the RAF Film Production Unit during the Second World War, showing airmen around the propeller of an aircraft (Image credit: Historic England Archive)
Women in military photography
This collection highlights the significant contributions of WAAF recruiters and their impact on military photography, which was essential to the war effort.
With rapid advancements in military air photography, there was a real need for skilled photographers who could excel in aerial reconnaissance. Their work provided intelligence that played a vital role in the war's progress.
WAAF recruits underwent specialized training in using aerial cameras, processing films in mobile darkrooms, plotting aerial photographs, and even simulating work under active service conditions.
(Image credit: Historic England Archive)(Image credit: Historic England Archive)
Send your story
Little is known about the lives of the women of the RAF Film Production Unit following the end of the war. While Chapman continued her passion for photography, the demobilization of the WAAF marked the end of these women's lives in film.
Historic England is inviting people to share the stories of women who served in the RAFFPU and how their time in the WAAF has shaped their lives.
Members of the RAF Film Production Unit taking part in a dramatic production of 'George and Margaret', at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood Studios (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Members of the WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) in their bathing costumes, posed for the camera at the Derby Baths (Image credit: Historic England Archive)Still from the film 'The Big Pack' produced by the RAF Film Production Unit during the Second World War, showing a boxing ring with boxer and trainer, and a member of the WAAF (Image credit: Historic England Archive)A British Bulldog in RAF uniform, at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood Studios (Image credit: Historic England Archive)
