What The RAF Flight Codes Can Reveal

The extensive collection of RAF aerial photographs held by the Royal Commission include vertical and low-level oblique views of Wales. The identification flight codes for the flights can reveal an incredible level of background detail.

One of the common identifiers starts with number 540, which is then normally followed by another unique flight reference number. The first portion identifies the film as originating from 540 squadron (motto “Sine Qua Non” – Indispensable), based at RAF Benson, Oxfordshire. Formed in October 1942 at Leuchars, as a Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), the squadron would be tasked with flights over Norway, France, Austria, Germany and Poland. A detachment was later based at Gibraltar, and flew over France, Italy and North Africa. Their first were Supermarine Spitfires, but the squadron was later re-equipped with de Havilland Mosquitoes. At the end of 1952, the squadron used the English Electric Canberra – arguably the best aerial photographic reconnaissance platform ever devised.

Several of the boxes of prints include a copy of the Photographic Reconnaissance Report (RAF Form 2047). When used in conjunction with the prints, they tell a fascinating story.

The paperwork for flight 540/538 reveals that on 25 June 1951 a type PR Mk. 34 Mosquito (number RG259) equipped with a port-facing F24 oblique camera, took off from RAF Benson. The pilot was Flight Officer Kepka, assisted by Flight Officer Dolezal (navigator/camera operator). They were tasked with a low-level oblique aerial photographic survey of two areas of the South Wales coast. The sortie run started at 12:35, and maintaining an altitude of 1,700ft, the first portion of the mission covered from Rumney, Cardiff to Beachley Head near Chepstow. The aircraft then headed west, and photographed the coastline from Mumbles Head, Swansea to Kenfig Burrows, near Porthcawl, finishing the survey at 13:35. The aircraft then returned to RAF Benson, landing at 14:10.

According to Form 2047, the processing of the 237 photographs commenced at 16:10 and was completed at 17:00. During inspection of the finished article, Corporal G.L. Sampson wrote a remark at the bottom of the form, “Thin cloud shadow on some. Two negs with shutter failure”.

The 15 x 14cm prints are a remarkable and detailed record of the coastal area, captured as a moment of time. In frame 0040 a portion of the Ebbw River can be seen the foreground, as well as the Alexandra Docks (NPRN 403430), and the distinctive Newport Transporter Bridge (NPRN 43157) in the top left of the photograph. Only three shots further on, frame 0043 captures a “White Funnel” paddle steamer (possibly the “Glen Usk”) making its way up the River Usk, as it passes the entrance to Alexandra Docks.

The second leg of the flight – of Swansea Bay – also has some remarkable images. Frame 0153 is of the Clyne Valley, and in the centre of the frame Clyne Castle (NPRN 18354) and the layout of its formal garden (NPRN 265686) can be seen. A few moments later, frame 0163 shows a very different landscape, that of the distinctive Swansea Guildhall (NPRN 144) and the surrounding area.

Our aerial photographic collections include a huge variety of views, ranging from 1919 to the present day and many of these can be viewed on Coflein, our online database, or by visiting the Royal Commission’s library, which is open daily from Monday to Friday.

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Summer drought in south and west Wales reveals new archaeological sites

There were more archaeological surprises this year for the Royal Commission’s aerial archaeologist, as  widespread hot weather in June and July parched grasslands and showed ‘cropmarks’ in ripening fields of wheat. 



Figure 1: Right place, right time. Known cropmark of an Iron Age defended enclosure (upper centre) north of Cardigan, photographed from the air as it is harvested. In an hour or two the site will be cropped, and will disappear until the next dry summer (Crown Copyright RCAHMW, 23 July 2014).

Dr Toby Driver explained:  ‘Despite the hot weather, frequent rain showers in many parts of Wales meant that cropmarks and parchmarks did not develop everywhere. Only in the south and west, across Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire and Glamorgan did the persistent drought reveal scores of prehistoric and Roman sites. Parchmarks of the Roman road running west of Carmarthen, as far as Wiston in Pembrokeshire, were seen for the first time since 1994 showing just how dry it got in the south-west.’

Dr Driver continued. ‘At the Royal Commission we have to be responsive to changing weather and crop conditions each summer. As the photo of the enclosure north of Cardigan shows, an hour either side of a flight can make the difference between obtaining a permanent record of a cropmark, or missing it completely.’

Figure 2: The Roman road west of Carmarthen, showing as a parched line approaching Whitland for the first time since 1994 (Crown Copyright RCAHMW, 30 July 2014).

Pembrokeshire held the most surprises, which was astonishing given the number of discoveries made across the county in the 2013 summer drought . As the dry summer of 2014 wore on, this coastal landscape yielded yet more unrecorded prehistoric sites. Close by the Rhoscrowther oil refinery in south Pembrokeshire a splendid concentric prehistoric defended enclosure was discovered in a field of ripening wheat. New defended enclosures of Iron Age or Romano-British type and plough-levelled Bronze Age barrows were recorded near Dale, near Broadhaven, and along the north coast near Carreg Sampson chambered tomb, Trefin.

Figure 3: The ghostly outline of a new Iron Age concentric enclosure near Rhoscrowther, south Pembrokeshire (AP_2014_3228, Crown Copyright RCAHMW, 22 July 2014)

AdFigure 4: Spectacular colours accompanied further discoveries of enclosures and hillforts close to Dale in south Pembrokeshire (AP_2014_3294, Crown Copyright RCAHMW, 22 July 2014).

A number of new sites were also discovered in south Wales, and included an unexpected prehistoric enclosure on a rocky headland at Oxwich on Gower, just south-east of the famous Oxwich Castle.



Figure 5. General view of Oxwich Castle, Gower, with cropmarks of the new defended enclosure in the right foreground (Crown Copyright RCAHMW, 23 July 2014).

Work back in the office to catalogue and record these discoveries will continue at the Royal Commission well into the winter months.

See our online gallery of aerial photographs for further images from our collections.

                                                                                                                             Toby Drive

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Archaeoleg yr Uwchdiroedd a Thirweddau Milwrol yng Nghymru

Ysgol undydd a drefnwyd gan y Comisiwn Brenhinol mewn partneriaeth â’r Sefydliad Isadeiledd Amddiffyn ac Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Clwyd-Powys.
9 Mai 2014. Ardal Hyfforddi Pontsenni,
Aberhonddu, Powys

Fe fydd cyfle, yn ystod cinio, i’r cynadleddwyr weld y lluniau a baentiwyd gan garcharorion rhyfel o’r Eidal a’r Almaen ar wal y Gegin yng Ngwersyll Pontsenni ym 1945-6.  Mae’r olygfa hon yn dangos Castell Heidelberg yn ne’r Almaen (DS2011_331_003).

Bydd Fforwm Archaeoleg yr Uwchdiroedd eleni’n cael ei gynnal ar Ddydd Gwener 9 Mai 2014 yng Nghanolfan y Barcud Coch, Ardal Hyfforddi Pontsenni (SENTA) ym Mhowys. Digwyddiadagored fydd hwn, wedi’i gynnal mewn partneriaeth â’r Sefydliad Isadeiledd Amddiffyn ac Ymddiriedolaeth Archaeolegol Clwyd-Powys. Yn y bore cyflwynir adroddiadau’n deillio o arolygon uwchdirol ar hyd a lled Cymru a neilltuir y prynhawn i bapurau’n ymwneud ag archaeoleg tirweddau milwrol yn uwchdiroedd Cymru. Y tâl cofrestru yw £20, sy’n cynnwys cinio eistedd i lawr, lluniaeth a mynediad.

Bydd hwn yn gyfle prin i fynychu digwyddiad yn yr ardal hyfforddi a chlywed mwy am archaeoleg Mynydd Epynt a thirweddau archaeolegol eraill yng Nghymru, ac i ymweld â safleoedd ar y maes yng nghwmni archaeolegwyr a phersonél milwrol. Fe fydd nifer cyfyngedig o leoedd, felly bwciwch yn gynnar.

Rhoddir manylion pellach am y digwyddiad a’r trefniadau bwcio ar wefan y Comisiwn Brenhinol. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth, cysylltwch â David Leighton yn david.leighton@cbhc.gov.uk neu drwy ffonio 01970 621204


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Helpwch Ni I Greu Sgwadron Gwlanog – Rydyn Ni Angen Eich Sgiliau Gwau I Esgyn I’r Awyr!

“Edafeddfomio” dros Bont Llangynidr ger Crucywel

I ddathlu Diwrnod Byd-Eang Gwau’n Gyhoeddus (8-16 Mehefin 2013), mae Comisiwn Brenhinol Henebion Cymru yn galw am gymorth ‘edafeddhedwyr’ gwirfoddol i greu sgwadron o awyrennau wedi’u gwau i feddiannu ardaloedd trefol a gwledig.

Gofynnir i wirfoddolwyr ddangos eu sgiliau gwau a darganfod mwy am hanes eu hardaloedd drwy ‘edafeddfomio’ lleoliadau gerllaw sydd i’w cael hefyd mewn ffotograffau Aerofilms.

Meddai Natasha Scullion, Swyddog Gweithgareddau Prydain Oddi Fry: ‘Rydyn ni’n annog pobl sydd wrth eu bodd yn gwau i ymuno â ni drwy ddirwyn eu gwlân ac esgyn i’r awyr gyda Phrydain Oddi Fry!’

Ewch i www.britainfromabove.org.uk a gadewch i gasgliad unigryw Prydain Oddi Fry o awyrluniau gwych a dynnwyd rhwng 1919 a 1953 fod yn ysbrydoliaeth i chi. Mae’r delweddau’n darparu cofnod ffotograffig heb ei ail o Brydain o’r awyr yn yr ugeinfed ganrif. Maen nhw’n dangos y newidiadau enfawr sydd wedi digwydd ym meysydd tai, hamdden, diwydiant, cludiant ac amaeth ac effeithiau dau ryfel byd ar y tir. Gallwch gyrchu mwy na 35,000 o ddelweddau am ddim.

Gallwch lwytho’r cyfarwyddiadau a’r patrwm i lawr o www.britainfromabove.org.uk a thrwy borthiant Twitter Prydain Oddi Fry English Heritage @AboveBritain.

Mae cymryd rhan yn hawdd.
Cam 1. Ewch ati i wau eich awyren. Defnyddiwch ein patrwm ni neu eich patrwm eich hun. Rhowch rwydd hynt i’ch dychymyg ...
Cam 2. Ewch i www.britainfromabove.org.uk  i ddod o hyd i ddelweddau o’ch ardal chi a dewiswch hoff leoliad. Os dymunwch, gadewch eich campwaith i bobl eraill ei fwynhau.
Cam 3. Llwythwch eich llun i fyny i’n grŵp GWAU dros Brydain Oddi Fry yn www.britainfromabove.org.uk/groups/knit-britain-above i ymuno â rhengoedd eich cyd ‘edafeddhedwyr’.

Claude Graham-White yn hedfan awyren Farman yn Bournemouth, 1910

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Awyrluniwch yr Awyren yn y Gelli Gandryll!

Y cynnyrch gorffenedig: awyren wedi’i hawyrlunio!

 Mewn heulwen braf, ymunodd y Comisiwn Brenhinol â chyrff treftadaeth eraill ar stondin Hanes Cymru yn y Gelli Gandryll eleni, lle cafodd gweithgareddau plant eu cynnal bob dydd. Roedd cyfraniad gwreiddiol y Comisiwn Brenhinol - Awyrluniwch yr Awyren! - yn llwyddiant ysgubol, gan roi cyfle i bawb ddarganfod treftadaeth gyfoethog Cymru o’r awyr drwy ddefnyddio casgliad y Comisiwn Brenhinol o awyrluniau (sydd i gyd ar gael ar Coflein), pot mawr o lud ac awyren bedair troedfedd o hyd! Drwy gydol Dydd Sadwrn, bu ymwelwyr â’r stondin yn brysur yn torri allan ac yn gludio mwy na 700 o ddelweddau i orchuddio’r awyren bren ac roedd y canlyniad  terfynol yn hynod drawiadol.

Bydd gan Robert, arth o ysgol gynradd yn Llundain, lawer i’w ddweud ar ôl mynd adref ar ôl hanner tymor!

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Exploring the Archaeology of Cardigan Island

This recent Royal Commission aerial photograph taken in April 2013 clearly shows the visible archaeology that is indicative of past habitation and farming. (Crown Copyright. RCAHMW, 2013).

Royal Commission Investigators have just returned from a visit to explore the archaeology of Cardigan Island. The island lies just off the Ceredigion coast, adjacent to the estuary of the river Teifi and is owned by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Access to the island is restricted and we were very grateful to be given a place on the boat chartered for the annual egg count of the breeding sea birds and geese.

Landing on the Island. (Crown Copyright. RCAHMW, 2013)

Landing on the island is tricky, and involved a rocky scramble onto the main grassland plateau which at this time of year is covered in extensive patches of bluebells. There are also clusters of tree mallow, not to mention the inhabitants, lots of nesting birds, particularly gulls and geese. It proved to be a noisy day!

Like many of the islands around the coast of Wales, a lack of modern development on Cardigan has preserved the archaeology and aerial photographs clearly indicate evidence of past habitation and farming. Much of the island is covered by ridge and furrow, indicating that at one time, most likely during the medieval period, arable farming was undertaken. However, the nature of these remains suggest this was never long established and it’s more likely that a pastoral economy predominated with the livestock watered by a number of small ponds in the centre of the island.

Two enclosed settlements, most likely later prehistoric in date, indicate that the island was also once settled. The smaller of the two enclosures contains evidence of five circular huts, whilst the much larger enclosure on the north side of the island, has one clear hut circle together with a large rectangular platform, possibly relating to a later phase of use. One unenclosed circular hut platform was also identified against which an earthwork bank dividing the whole island had been constructed.

The archaeology on the ground. GPS survey of the boundary bank dividing the island. (Crown Copyright. RCAHMW, 2013)

The results of our field visit will now be collated into a survey report and the National Monuments Record enhanced with detailed descriptions and photography of the archaeology.

Article by Louise Barker, Head of Recording and Investigation Team

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