Defence School of Photography

The Defence School of Photography (DSoP) is a training centre for all photographers drawn from the three arms of the British Military and the Civil Service.[note 2] The School has been located at RAF Cosford in Shropshire, England since 1963 and in its own purpose built building at Cosford since 1965. The school has gone through several iterations being firstly a Royal Flying Corps school, then a Royal Air Force School, then a Joint school before becoming the DSoP in 2003.

Defence School of Photography (DSoP)
Founded1972 (1972) (as Joint School of Photography)
Country United Kingdom
Branch British Army
 Royal Air Force
 Royal Navy
TypeDefence training school
RolePhotographic training
Part ofJoint Intelligence Training Group
LocationRAF Cosford, Shropshire
Motto(s)Luce Scribimus (Latin: (We) Write with light)[1][note 1]
AccreditationsBritish Institute of Professional Photography
Commanders
Current
commander		Frank Tomlinson

Its origins lie in the advent of the First World War, with training being developed as far back as 1912; the school lays claim to being the oldest technical training environment in the Royal Air Force, pre-dating the formation of the RAF itself.[2]

In 2003, the school was renamed as the Defence School of Photography which widened the scope on training it could offer across governmental agencies.[3] Since 2006 it has been under the command and control of the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre (DISC) at Chicksands alongside the Defence School of Intelligence (DSI), the Defence School of Languages (DSL) and the Royal School of Military Survey (RSMS).[4] In 2015, DISC was renamed as the Joint Intelligence Training Group (JITG)[5] which the DSoP still works under.

History

Background

The formation of aerial military photography was down to the determination of a small number of men who were in the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) but it was mostly down to Frederick Charles Victor Laws (affectionately known as 'Daddy Laws' by photographers).[6] Laws was initially a Sergeant in the RFC and had a passion for photography. Despite Field Marshall Haig's reputed maxim that reconnaissance was best achieved by the Cavalry,[note 3][7] Laws and his cohort proved that aerial photography could provide information at a level of accuracy unseen before in theatres of war.[8]

In January 1915, Laws, Lieutenant J T C Moore-Brabazon, Lieutenant C D M Campbell and 2nd Air Mechanic W D Corse were sent to test and report back on aerial photography.[9] They produced such detailed reconnaissance of Neuve Chapelle with its intricate hidden defences that when the attack took place, the eventual human toll was far less than that of previous similar campaigns.[8]

A School of Photography was established in 1915[10] with a formalised training centre at Farnborough (later RAF Farnborough) in January 1917. Laws came back as Commanding Officer twice; first as a Squadron Leader in 1924 and secondly as a Wing Commander in 1933.[11] Because the school was created in 1915, it is referred to as the oldest technical training environment in the Royal Air Force (even though it is a defence school, it operated primarily for the RAF due to the aerial reconnaissance responsibility). The school was responsible for holding millions of exposed glass-plate negatives from the First World War. 130,000 would be gifted to the Imperial War Museum, whilst many others not considered important enough were simply buried in a hole in the ground at RAF Farnborough.[12]

On the formation of the Royal Air Force on 1 April 1918, all photographers from the Royal Navy and the Royal Flying Corps became part of the RAF Photographic branch. The Royal Navy established its own photographic school at Tipner Ranges (under HMS Excellent) in 1920. This was a dedicated gunnery and torpedo school.[13]

Aerial Photography during the Second World War

During the Second World War, as the need for reconnaissance and photographic experts became paramount, a second school was opened at a hastily converted technical college[14] in Blackpool, Lancashire to cater for the upsurge in personnel.[15] During this period, the School(s) of Photography came under the Royal Air Force Technical Training Command.[16]

In 1945, the RAF school moved to Farnham in Surrey then onto RAF Wellesbourne Mountford in Warwickshire in 1948.[17] It used Avro Anson aircraft in its aerial photography training and stayed for fifteen years at Wellesbourne Mountford before moving on to RAF Cosford in Shropshire in 1963.[18] A new building was designed and built specifically for photographic training at Cosford which is supposed to resemble a Rail Camera from the aerial perspective with Bellows as the front doors.[19] Alec Brew in his book of photographs of RAF Cosford, describes the building opened in December 1965[20] as '...being a drab place enlivened by a marvellous mural.'[21]

During the same period, the Royal Naval School of Photography had moved from Tipner Ranges to Felpham at Bognor Regis (1943), then in 1947 it moved on to HMS Peregrine[note 4] at RNAS Ford. It moved to HMS Daedalus (Lee-on-Solent) in 1961 and then onto HMS Fulmar.[note 5] (where the Naval aerial photographic training was undertaken).[22]

Formation

In 1972, the schools combined to become the Joint School of Photography (JSoP) when the Royal Navy closed their school at what was RNAS Lossiemouth. The Royal Navy and Army photographic training was formalised into a new programme at the school in Cosford alongside the Royal Air Force[10] and was the first instance of formalised Joint training at RAF Cosford.[23]

In 2003, the school became the Defence School of Photography which allowed it to train employees from across the military spectrum either enlisted or civilian.[10] In 2015 the school celebrated its centenary with a special open weekend and formal dinner at the RAF Museum Cosford.[24][25]

Training

Royal Navy and Army trainee professional photographers are drawn from existing strength within their respective services.[26] The Royal Air Force have traditionally taken on recruits as direct entrants with no military experience.[25][note 6] The Royal Navy see being a sailor first as important to its overall ethos. On completion of successful professional photographic training, Royal Marine personnel transfer over to the Royal Navy but are allowed to keep their Green beret.[27]

All three services have now had their training aligned into one professional photographic course which last for eight months.[28] A civilian course with the same content and commensurate qualifications is normally undertaken over two years.[29] All trained professional photographers have the opportunity to come back for further training in courses that enhance their skills.

Professional photographers are given NVQ's in their respective fields[30] and the ability to receive a Modern Apprenticeship.[28] They are also entitled to join the British Institute of Professional Photographers.[31]

The DSoP also operates training for non-professional photographic staff, such as coastal survey and reconnaissance training.[25][27]

Military nicknames

Photographers in the military are commonly known as 'Phots'. In the Royal Air Force, they were traditionally known as 'Clicky's' whilst the original term for a photographer in the Royal Navy was 'Snaps'.[32]

Commanders

Unless annotated at the end of the name of the Commanding Officer, all are Royal Air Force.[33]

Year Rank and Name Year Rank and name Year Rank and name
1915 2nd Lt F C V Laws (RFC) 1940 Wg Cdr H G Barrett 1972 Sqn Ldr W H P Brown
1917 Lt C Porri (RFC) 1941 Wg Cdr J B Newman 1974 Lt Cdr T Marriott (RN)
1917 Major P R Burchall (RFC) 1941 Wg Cdr A E Taylor 1974 Sqn Ldr A A Blain
1920 Sqn Ldr A R Cooper 1942 Wg Cdr P R Burchall 1976 Sqn Ldr G P Proctor
1922 Sqn Ldr W J Guilfoyle 1943 Sqn Ldr W H Dunton 1978 Sqn Ldr G C Ashman
1924 Sqn Ldr F C V Laws 1945 Wg Cdr C G R Lewis 1982 Sqn Ldr G J Brown
1930 Wg Cdr A H Steele-Perkins 1947 Wg Cdr H C Westwood 1985 Lt Cdr M H Larcombe (RN)
1932 Wg Cdr H M Probin 1950 Wg Cdr E T Scott 1989 Sqn Ldr B A Broad
1932 Wg Cdr R H Neville 1953 Wg Cdr G J Buxton 1991 Lt Cdr C L Hamlin (RN)
1933 Wg Cdr F C V Laws 1955 Sqn Ldr S Hoskin 1993 Sqn Ldr V Kinnin
1933 Wg Cdr G Bowman 1955 Sqn Ldr J W Berry 1996 Sqn Ldr S Ivory
1934 Wg Cdr M L Taylor 1959 Sqn Ldr P R Mayle 1998 Mr J D Ness (Civil Service)
1936 Wg Cdr C Porri 1961 Sqn Ldr F R J Richardson 2000 Mr G H Sellars (CS)[note 7]
1938 Sqn Ldr J Silvester 1964 Sqn Ldr J E Bellingham 2010 Mr J J Jarvis (CS)[note 8]
1939 Sqn Ldr R C Sturgiss 1968 Sqn Ldr K M Hall 2018 Mr F Tomlinson (CS)

Notes
  1. Also translates as We write by light. This was the motto of the RAF School of Photography which became the motto of the Joint School of Photography in 1972. Whilst it was a Joint School, it retained an approved RAF Badge up until its name change to DSoP in 2003.
  2. The Royal Marines are part of the Royal Navy.
  3. There is some doubt that Haig actually said this; in the citation from Air Power Review, it mentions that it is more likely to be attributable to a technophobic officer under Haigh's command or part of his headquarters staff.
  4. The Royal Navy Photographic award is called the Peregrine Trophy.
  5. This base became RAF Lossiemouth in 1972.
  6. RAF Photographers belong to Trade Group 14 in the non-commissioned branches.
  7. Former Royal Navy photographer.
  8. Former Royal Air Force photographer.

References
  1. Pine, L G (1983). A dictionary of mottoes. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. p. 132. ISBN 0-7100-9339-X.
  2. Bennett, I (1978). "A history of RAF Cosford". RAF 60: 43.
  3. Robinson, Tim (Autumn 2015). "100 Years of Continuous Military Photographic Training". Cosford Grapevine: 9. OCLC 751026701.
  4. "Royal School of Military Survey". Joint Intelligence Training Group. Archived from the original on 5 June 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2016.
  5. "Bedfordshire - Joint Intelligence Training Group Chicksands". Sanctuary (44): 74. 2015. ISSN 0959-4132.
  6. Williams 2011, p. 32.
  7. Marr, Paul (Summer 2014). "Haig and Trenchard: Achieving Air Superiority on the Western Front". Air Power Review. Royal Air Force. 17 (2): 25. ISSN 1463-6298.
  8. Humphrey 2014, p. 10.
  9. Jones, H A (1928). "The War in the air". Internet Archive. p. 88. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  10. "Defence School of Photography". National Archives. Ministry of Defence. 18 October 2012. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  11. Humphrey 2014, p. 20.
  12. Williams 2011, pp. 366–367.
  13. "Early history of photography in the Navy". Royal Navy Photographers Association. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  14. Robinson, Tim (Autumn 2015). "100 Years of Continuous Military Photographic Training". Cosford Grapevine. Ministry of Defence: 8. OCLC 751026701.
  15. Humphrey 2014, p. 15.
  16. "Training in Photography". Gloucester Journal. 22 November 1941. p. 9. Retrieved 2 July 2016. (subscription required)
  17. Bowyer, Michael (1983). Action Stations 6; Military Airfields of the Cotswolds and Central Midlands. Cambridge: Patrick Stephens Publishing. p. 275. ISBN 0-85059-529-0.
  18. "WW2 Peoples War; RAF Wellesbourne Mountford". BBC History. BBC History. 15 October 2014. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  19. "New RAF School of Photography Open". Shropshire Magazine. January 1966. p. 35.
  20. Humphrey 2014, p. 17.
  21. Brew, Alec (1995). RAF Cosford in old photographs. Stroud: Alan Sutton Publishing. p. 53. ISBN 0-7509-0701-0.
  22. "Peregrine Trophy". Royal Navy Photographers Association. Retrieved 2 July 2016.
  23. Bennett, I (1978). "A History of RAF Cosford". RAF 60: 82.
  24. "A century of military photographic images goes on show at Cosford". RAF Museum Cosford. RAF Museum. 21 January 2016. Archived from the original on 3 February 2016. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  25. Robinson, Tim (Autumn 2015). "100 Years of Continuous Military Photographic Training". Cosford Grapevine. Ministry of Defence: 10. OCLC 751026701.
  26. "Logistic Support Photographer". British Army. British Army. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  27. "View from our office - behind the scenes with the Navy's photographers". Navy News (739): 14–15. February 2016. ISSN 0028-1670.
  28. "Defence Photographer Course - 5300". Royal Air Force. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  29. "Five days to show they're cool enough for phot school. Will they click?". Navy News. No. 741. April 2016. p. 21. ISSN 0028-1670.
  30. "Defence School of Photography". RAF Cosford. Royal Air Force. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  31. "About the BIPP". BIPP. British Institute of Professional Photographers. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  32. Jolly, Rick (2000). Jackspeak - a guide to British Naval slang and usage. Cornwall: Palamanando Publishing. p. 410. ISBN 0-9514305-2-1.
  33. Humphrey 2014, p. 21.

Bibliography
  • Humphrey, Dave. Legends and heroes; behind the lens. Raleigh, North Carolina, USA: Lulu Enterprises, 2014. ISBN 978-1-291-98410-1.
  • Williams, Alan. Operation Crossbow - the untold story of photographic intelligence and the search for Hitler's V weapons. London, UK: Random House, 2011. ISBN 978-1-848-09307-2.
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