US air force captured Black-and-white aerial photos presenting an aerial perspective of wartime England and its transformation during World War II, are now accessible to the general public for the first time.
These 3,600 images encompass photographs showcasing the aftermath of bombing on locations like Old Trafford in Greater Manchester, as well as various towns and cities. Additionally, they reveal ancient monuments encircled by anti-tank defenses in West Sussex, and depict leisure moments of troops at a US army camp in Wiltshire.
Photographed by the photographic reconnaissance units of the US Army Air Force (USAAF), stationed across England in 1943 and 1944 following the US entry into the war in December 1941.
One image displays the damage inflicted on Manchester United’s stadium, its main stand hit during a bombing raid in March 1941. Old Trafford didn’t host football again until 1949. In another photo, taken through a break in the clouds, B-17 bombers from the Eighth Air Force soar over the Brecks in Norfolk.
Another photograph reveals Newbury racecourse repurposed as a marshalling yard for military equipment.
You can explore the entire collection via an online, searchable map showcased in the Historic England archive.
Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, remarked, “Our collection of wartime photographs taken by USAAF pilots and aircraft in England records the transformations brought about by World War II and captures intriguing incidental details such as American troops engaging in baseball games.”
He further emphasized that the public release of these images underscores the crucial role played by aerial reconnaissance in the context of the second world war.
