Rare photographs reveal the women who captured World War Two on film
Rare photographs reveal the women who captured World War Two on film
Historic England releases collection of behind-the-scenes photos of female photographers in action at Pinewood Studios during the Second World War, in celebration of the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
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 (credit: Historic England Archive)
To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Historic England has unveiled a collection of 100 rare photographs capturing behind-the-scenes moments of female photographers and filmmakers during the Second World War.
Many of these images were taken at Pinewood Studios, where women played a pioneering role in military photography.
The collection has been curated by Dorothy ‘Knicky’ Chapman, one of the first women trained in wartime photography. After her training at the No. 2 School of Photography in Blackpool as part of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), Chapman was posted to Pinewood Studios. Her collection includes previously unseen images from both her training and her time on active service.
During the war, Pinewood Studios served as a key base for government film units, which were vital to the Allied effort. These units produced films aimed at building international support and boosting morale. Newsreels and reports of major events – such as the D-Day landings – were created under intense time pressure, and Chapman contributed to films offering a rare insight into RAF operations.
The collection also reveals the role of the WAAF in training its non-combat personnel in photography and aerial reconnaissance. The images show women using mobile darkrooms and plotting aerial photographs – essential tasks that supported intelligence gathering and mission planning in the RAF.
Historic England is inviting the public to share the stories of women who served in the RAF Film Production Unit at Pinewood Studios, and how their time in the WAAF has shaped their lives. Send your experiences to communications@historicengland.org.uk before Sunday 25 May and your story may be shared on the Historic England website.
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 (credit: Historic England Archive)A British Bulldog in RAF uniform, at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood Studios (credit: Historic England Archive)'Combined Ops!' - WAAF Corporal Peggy Harvey, in her uniform, doing her make-up whilst pumping up the tyre of a military vehicle at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood Studios (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 (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 (credit: Historic England Archive)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 (credit: Historic England Archive)An RAF Instructor making repairs to a camera during a training exercise for Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees during the first week of the training programme, at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (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 (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 (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 (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 (credit: Historic England Archive)Two Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainees practising printing of photographic negatives in the mobile darkroom trailer at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (credit: Historic England Archive)A Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) trainee practising using a miniature handheld camera during training at the No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (credit: Historic England Archive)Three WAAF (Women's Auxiliary Air Force) officers having tea aboard an RAF aeroplane. The woman in the centre is Knicky Knapman (later Chapman), with two of her fellow WAAF officers, presumably also instructors at the RAF's No.2 School of Photography in Blackpool (credit: Historic England Archive)WAAF officer Freda Pocock at work in the Stills Department of the RAF Film Production Unit at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood Studios (credit: Historic England Archive)
