In 1938, Wing Commander Fred Winterbotham was given approval to form a special photo-reconnaissance unit, which carried out clandestine flights over Germany. The unit used a Lockheed 12A aircraft, with a civilian registration and hidden cameras. Using the cover of a businessman's commercial travel, the aircraft was used to covertly photograph German military and industrial installations. This activity was deemed a success and was only stopped when war broke out.

The success of these sorties led to the formation of the Photographic Development Unit (PDU) in September 1939. The PDU was based at RAF Hendon under the command of Sqn Ldr Sidney Cotton, the businessman whose cover was exploited by the earlier flights. The unit was initially equipped with modified Bristol Blenheim aircraft, although they lacked the performance to carry out the demanding sorties required by the reconnaissance role. The PDU was lent two Spitfires in November 1939 and quickly modified them for reconnaissance use, by stripping out armour and armament, and fitting extra fuel tanks. The Spitfires were pressed into immediate service and German installations were imaged from 30,000ft

Complete Photo Recon Set (pg3 misc)

Support Shelf For camera

PRU Camera (pg1misc)

How rare is this? fantastic camera as used in PRU Spits. Big and heavy, will photograph your breakfast at 20,000Ft. Fitted to fast high flying Spits of the PRU. Unarmed with pressurised cockpits and engines tuned to the max, these Spits relied on altitude and performance to stay alive. This item weighs 70Lbs.

There is a fuel gauge for a PRU Spit in instruments.

£350

Support Shelf For Camera (pg2 Rad)

Genuine Spitfire parts for holding the Camera in the Spit's fuselage.

£250

Click here to see radio supports
 

For most of the war Spitfire and Mosquito fighter aircraft were fitted with cameras. Spitfires were lightened by removing their guns, their skins were polished for extra speed and larger fuel tanks gave them a range of more than 1,500 miles at 35,000 feet at a top speed of nearly 400 mph. The cameras were fixed behind the pilot fitted with up to 36" (910mm) lenses. The cameras were slightly angled so that they photographed a strip about three miles across on a nine inch wide film. By overlapping the photographs, stereo pairs were produced which, when viewed with a stereoscope, gave a three dimensional impression. Aerial photography was not only useful for assessing troop movements and measuring the effectiveness of bomb damage, it was also vital in the discovery of secret weapons such as the V1 flying bomb and V2 rockets. Enemy intentions and capabilities cold be discovered by aerial photography. For example routine cover of U-boat shipyards enabled interpreters to predict submarine production for up to six months ahead. This is in mint boxed condition. It contains an adapter so that binoculars can be used which are also supplied.

A cartridge for a PRU camera boxed.

click on picture's left to enlarge.

click on picture left to enlarge.

36"Telephoto lens (pg 1 Misc)

Here we have a telephoto lens , in good original condition and dated 1945 a superb optic.

Tropical spitfires of the PRU