Avro-Lancaster-Bomber während eines Nachtangriffs auf Hamburg Anfang 1943

For the uninitiated, the British heavy bombers employed a film camera linked to the bomb release mechanism and a photo-flash pyrotechnic to take night bombing photographs.

At night, the shutter on the camera remained open for several seconds, and the exploding photo-flash illuminated the scene (‘freezing’ detail like a camera flash).

Any other strong light sources at night, such as flak tracer, ground fires, and/or searchlights, tended to leave a wavy trace on the film because of the slow shutter speed and aircraft movement. Some of the most surreal night bombing photographs were made by bomber aircraft that had to take violent evasive action while the camera shutter was open.

I live very near one of only 2 flying examples of the Lancaster in the world. It regularly flies over my house, which is extra cool since my Grandfather was a tail gunner with the RCAF, seeing action over Europe. Every time it flies overhead I’m reminded of him.