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New collection of Second World War aerial photography

A collection of fascinating aerial reconnaissance photographs taken during the Second World War by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) is now accessible to the public online through the Historic England Archive.

Our staff picks

"The statue of Lion, the mastiff, and the stories of the funeral are why I chose this photograph. When Tom Sayers, Britain's last bare-knuckle champion, died in 1865 at the age of 39, his faithful dog Lion was 'chief mourner' at the funeral. The burial was reputedly attended by 10,000 people who behaved with 'irredeemable blackguardism, brutal levity, and barbaric ferocity'."

Selected by:

Abigail Coats, Cataloguing Officer

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  • Over 9 million historical photos

    Details of our photography collections held in the public Historic England Archive.

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