Image Release Note 007: NARA Upload
Summary
This batch marks the publication of nearly 50,000 aerial photographs from the Second World War digitised as part of the ongoing collaboration between the National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP) and the US National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). This substantial release represents a major milestone in the preservation and dissemination of wartime aerial intelligence. It reflects the vast geographical reach of Allied reconnaissance missions, encompassing strategic locations across Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.
Key areas include repeated coverage of Germany, France, Italy, and Eastern Europe, as well as less frequently documented regions such as Iran, Myanmar, and Johnston Atoll. The dataset also includes domestic surveillance imagery from the British Isles, with notable coverage of Wales, Ireland, and the Isle of Wight, underscoring the importance of homeland monitoring during the conflict.
These images offer valuable insights into military strategy, infrastructure, and landscape changes during the war, and they serve as a crucial resource for historians, researchers, educators, and the wider public. By digitising and releasing this material, NCAP and NARA have significantly enhanced access to global conflict heritage, supporting both academic study and public engagement with the visual legacy of the Second World War.
Image caption: Unhaktong-Namso-Ri, on north bank of Taeryong River, North Korea; Collection: NARA, Sortie: 15TRS/USAF/R9965C, Frame: 0002 (14 May 1952).
| Release Extent | |
|---|---|
| New Sorties | 564 |
| New Frames | 47,995 |
| Date Range | 1938 – 1952 |
Geographical Coverage
- United Kingdom and Ireland: Ireland, Wales, England, Channel Islands
- Western Europe: Germany, France, Austria, Luxembourg
- Southern Europe and Mediterranean: Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Greece
- Scandinavia and Baltic States: Denmark, Norway, Lithuania
- Eastern Europe: Poland, Hungary, Romania, Belarus, Russia, Czechia, Slovakia, Moldova
- West and Central Asia: Iran, Oman, Kazakhstan, Turkey
- East Asia: China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea
- Southeast Asia: Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos, Philippines
- Pacific Ocean: Hawaii, Papua New Guinea, Leyte, Midway, Johnston Atoll
- North America: United States of America
| Collection Detail | ||
|---|---|---|
| NARA | 564 sorties | 47,995 frames |
