The untold story of the RAF's wartime female propaganda unit
The weapons wielded by Sergeant Dorothy 'Knicky' Chapman and her colleagues against the Nazis and their allies may have been film cameras and tripods rather than guns and shells, but they were vital in explaining to besieged Britons how the war effort was being waged.
A rare collection of photographs showing the untold story of their work in the RAF's wartime Film Production Unit is now being revealed for the first time.
Previously unseen photographs of its work have been published by Historic England to celebrate the 80 th anniversary of VE Day.
The more than 150 photographs, which Chapman collected at the time, offer a rare glimpse of the unit's endeavours at Pinewood Studios, the home of British filmmaking, where it produced newsreels and coverage of key events in the war, including the D-Day landings.
These explained in vivid detail to a civilian audience the efforts of Britain's forces, both on the battlefield and the home front, and were deemed crucial in maintaining morale.
Among the films made by Chapman and the RAF FPU at Pinewood were 'Operational Height', which told the story of the crews of the barrage balloon ships guarding the ports of the Thames Estuary, and a 16-minute 1943 film, Soldiers Stories: The RAF Regiment.
Another was 'The Big Pack', showing the work of the RAF's Maintenance Command in organising the supplies needed for a major overseas operation.
The photographs show the women of the FPU training to operate complex film equipment in difficult conditions, such as while wearing gas masks or in total darkness.
Some are not without humour, with one showing WAAF Corporal Peggy Harvey in her uniform, applying her makeup while pumping up the tyre of a military vehicle at RAF Iver Heath, Pinewood.
The unit's members were drawn from the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF), which was founded in 1939 to fill non-combat roles in the RAF with women.
Chapman, who had worked at photographic studios in Coventry and Sheffield after studying art and photography at Coventry School of Art, volunteered to join the WAAF before conscription was introduced.
She was part of the first intake of 26 women to be trained at the No. 2 School of Photography, now the Defence School of Photography, at RAF Cosford, in 1941.
Chapman was one of a small number picked to work in the stills department and her collection features stills from a number of the RAF's film sets and productions. She also worked alongside some of those who would go on to shape the British film industry, including a young Richard Attenborough, who volunteered to fly on bombing missions across Europe to film their outcome.
WAAF photographers proved vital to the war effort in training RAF crews to carry out aerial reconnaissance, providing intelligence that was crucial to the progress of the war.
As well as their vital work, the collection captures the women taking part in more relaxed off duty activities, including playing sports, dances at RAF Iver Heath and a theatre production of the comedy 'George and Margaret'.
Chapman continued her passion for photography after the war - taking a job creating microfiche at the Science Museum and amassing a collection of several thousand slides documenting architecture across the country. But for most of the women the demobilisation of the WAAF marked the end of their lives in film.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, said: 'This remarkable collection commemorates the unsung heroes of the Second World War and sheds light on the history of wartime filmmaking. The photographs provide rare insight into a lesser-known aspect of our wartime heritage, from the crucial role of Pinewood Studios as the centre of military filmmaking to the pioneering women of the WAAF.'
Heritage Minister Baroness Twycross added: 'This remarkable collection reveals the vital role Pinewood Studios played during the war and shines a light on the hidden contribution of women like Knicky Chapman who broke barriers in military photography. Their legacy will continue to inspire future generations.'
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