By Jesse MacLeod
Recently, we were contacted by a research associate of LCMSDS, Evert Stieber, who lives in the Netherlands. He has been looking at the large number of geographically-unidentified aerial reconnaissance photos from the Second World War. Evert provided us with a long and detailed list of boxes and photos which he felt he had identified. A quick check on them revealed that he was indeed correct on everything he listed.
This exciting new development highlights a unique way in which our readers can directly impact the quality of our site, and thus our archive. As an archivist, I strive to provide as much information as possible which would be relevant to a potential researcher, so findings such as this are given high value and priority in the daily goings-on of our office. Remember that anyone with access to Google Maps can take a look to see if they can identify geographic features which would locate where a photo, or box of photos, was taken. Credit will always be given to the researcher who makes these discoveries.
The majority of the findings are of Evert’s home country of the Netherlands, including his hometown which he found by accident. The full list of confirmed discoveries are as follows:
- Box 0194 (Flight R4/942) (Dunkirk)
- Box 0329 (Flight 400/1008) (Wesel, Meerbusch, Buderich, etc)
- Box 0276(River Ijssel, Dieren, Olburgen, Apeldoorn)
- Box 0277 (Flight 2188)
- Box 0288
- Box 0265 (4/1940)(Twentecanal, Delden)
- Box 0040 (Flight 805) (Zwolle)
- Box 0193 (Flight 4/931) (Ossendrecht, Hoogerheide, Hopogerheide, Woensdrecht (airfield), Bergen-op-Zoom)
- Box 0207 (Bergen-op-Zoom, Hoogerheide, Ossendrecht, Zandvliet)
- Box 0193 (Flight 4/929) (Isabellahaven, Walcheren Island)
- Box 0194 (Flight R4/974 (Walcheren Island)
- Box 0195 R4/976 (Braakman inlet, Isabella harbour, Leopold canal)
- Box 0203 R4/1036 (Braakman inlet)
- Box 0204 (4/1046 (Breskens, Flushing/Vlissingen)
- Box 0297 R4/1 (Oost-Souburg, Middelburg, Veere)
- Box 0324 (1 0f 2) (Saint-Pierre-sur-Dives, Mezidon, Cintheaux)
- Box 0324 (2 of 2)
On behalf of everyone at the LMH Archive, I would like to thank Every Stieber for his fantastic work, and significant contribution to the Second World War Aerial Photo Collection.
It’s fascinating to see the way people are using the Internet to pinpoint aerial photographs from sorties without cover plots. As a sort of ‘half-way’ house, here are degree square details of 29 further sorties (below). The photographs were taken within the degree square listed, and a quick look at one or two of them has already produced locations.
Best of luck!
Chris Going
Sortie No WLU Box Deg Sq
4/1127 228 N51 004E
4/1132 228 N51 003E
4/1474 254 N51 005E
4/813 169 N51 004E
4/814 170 N51 004E
4/816 171 N51 003E
4/825 173 N51 004E
4/826 174 N51 003E
4/831 177 N51 004E
4/842 178 N51 003E
R604 89 N48 002E
R605 89 N49 001E
R613 89 N48 001W
R615 89 N50 002E
R618 89 N49001E
R640 85 N49002E
R674 85 N48002E
R681 84 N48001E
R689 84 N49002E
R705 84 NW50001W
R712 84 N49001E
R719 83 N49000E
R721 83 N49001E
R727 83 N49 002E, N49 000E
R728 83 N49 000E, N49 001E
R740 79 N49 000E
R744 79 N49 000E
R747 79 N48 000E, N49 001E
R748 79 N48 001E, N48 002E
Hmmm -finger trouble: the 4/xxx sorties I listed are from boxes which you have located already. Here are eight 4/s from your current unlocated series…..
Best of luck
Chris Going
(Sortie, box, deg sq)
4/1043, 204, N51 003E
4/1044, 204, N51 003E
4/1067, 213, N51 003E
4/1068, 213, N51 003E
4/1080, 218, N51 004E
4/1092, 220, N51 004E
4/1112, 225, N51 004E
4/1115, 226, N51 004E
Box 0039, flight 805
Sortie 414/805 of 28 Oct 44, is located on the Dutch(Gelderland)\German (North Rhine-Westphalia) border, roughly East of Nijmegen.
Two runs, in East-West direction, oblique, camera pointing North
Run 1: Kranenburg to Waal river/Betuwe
Run 2: Reichswald, Groesbeek, hills Southeast of Nijmegen
Details have been mailed to LMH
Best regards,
Ger Geertsma
Hello,
The following two boxes are still on the list so I assume they haven’t been identified.
Box 0078 – R71 268, August 16, 1943 shows oblique views inland from the coast starting east of the Orne River mouth and then passes the Caen Canal and Ouistreham. In the far distance can be seen the tall structures of the Collombelles steel mill near Caen. It continues west along the Normandy coast passing several towns. Am I on the right track?
Box 0085 – R665, August 2, 1942. The first 20 images starts by clearly showing the Orne River mouth and then proceeds east on the run to Cabourg where the River Dives flows into the Channel. It then heads inland in a south easterly direction eventually crossing the river La Touques near the village of Pierrefitte-en-Auge just below Pont L’Eveque. The second part of the box with images numbered 59 to 86 with many missing in between I can’t identify, but may have been taken further south and perhaps once again crosses the La Touques.
Regards … Chuck
0085-R655: Frame 76 is Fervaques, 80 is the D579 to Liverot, 82 Vieux Pont En Auge and 85 is Bretteville sur Dives/St Pierre sur Dives
Hi,
Box0078 R69 268 https://lmharchive.ca/GalleryUploads/Box0078_R69_268/ has oblique’s covering the coast from the western end of Asnelles /Arromanches to Port en Besin.
Hello,
Unidentified boxes.
Box 0079 – R748, 08 September, 1942
Follows the River Dives in Normandy from south of Highway D613 and then runs up the Dives valley to Highway D27 in the north. It passes Le Bras D’Or, Anneray, Le Radier, Saint Samson, Bure Sur Dives and Robehomme. Some of the prints (93, 94 and 96 ) are poor quality and hard to make out.
Box 0079 – R745, 08 September, 1942 (5 images only)
Shows the Caen Canal and Orne River from the Colombelles Steel Mill to near Ouistreham. The Orne River mouth is cut off but the western end of Ouistreham on the coast is seen. High Altitude air photos with good views of land east and west of Canal. Also Benouville and bridges later taken by the British Airborne on D-Day can be seen on images 94 and 95. Image 91 is missing
Box 0124 – 4/183, 30 May, 1944.
River Dives Valley from the southern edge of Bures sur Diives to Saint-Sansom where the river turns east. Image 69 is missing otherwise it would have formed a complete area also showing Haras du Bois. The streams, La Viellle Muance and La Tranchee, run parallel to the Dives to Bures sur Dives.
The above are all small boxes. If you need stitches let me know and I’ll send them along.
Regards … Chuck
Hello,
Unidentified boxes.
Box 0039 – Flight 559 26 July 44
Oblique views Robert Mesnil (01-10), Gaumesnil (11-15), Secqueville (16-18), Garcelles-Secqueville (19-22), Saint Aignan-de Cramesnil (22-26), Rocquancourt (27-36), Fontenay-le-Marmion (37-42), May-sur-Orne (42-44), Laize-la-Ville (45-49), Clinchamps-sur-Orne (50), Secqueville (51-56), Tilly-la-Campagne (57-58), Rocquancourt (59-67).
Regards from Barcelona