US military’s aerial reconnaissance pictures of England during WWII go online for the first time

By PAN PYLAS
Associated Press

LONDON (AP) — During World War II, specifically in 1943 and 1944, the U.S. Army Air Forces’ photographic reconnaissance units captured the changing face of England, primarily around their bases in the south of the country. More than 3,600 of their black and white images were made available Wednesday in a free online, searchable map through the archive of Historic England, a public body that seeks to champion England’s history and environment. From showing U.S. military personnel playing baseball to ancient monuments surrounded by anti-tank defences, the collection gives a bird’s-eye view of the impact of the war on England. One of the most northern pictures shows the 1941 bomb damage at Manchester United Football Club’s Old Trafford stadium.