RAF's No. 2 School of Photography

WAAF Women's Auxiliary Air Force trainees on fire picquet duty, outside the No. 2 School of Photography in Blackpool. The RAF's No. 2 School of Photography was established in August 1940 to meet the rapidly increasing need for more photographers and photographic technicians to aid with aerial reconnaissance during the Second World War. The School was based at the Blackpool Technical College and Palatine Secondary School in Blackpool. Training of women at the School began in 1941.
WAAF trainees at the No. 2 School of Photography had to provide the fire guard during their tenth week on the training programme. They were on duty from the end of the teaching day until 08.00 the following morning. The picquet consisted of four airwomen, and one NCC, who were accommodated in the Administration Office, where they were provided with an evening meal and bedding. As the Administration Office had a good supply of hot and cold water, and facilities for drying, the WAAFs would spend their time on fire picquet duty washing and ironing their smalls. This photograph is one of a set taken by Barnet Saidman, an RAF officer on the staff at the No. 2 School, and other colleagues, which was compiled into an album and presented to Squadron Leader W H Dunton, officer in charge of the No. 2 School. The album documents the training programme for the WAAF's at the No. 2 School, and is accompanied by written captions. The original album is held by the Defence School of Photography. A second set of prints was collected and presented within the album compiled by Knicky Chapman, who was herself on the staff at the No. 2 School

Auxiliary Barnet Blackpool Captions Chapman Colleagues Collected Compiled Dunton Herself Knicky Manufactured Palatine Picquet Raf S Reconaissance Reconnaissance Saidman Secondary Technicians Trainees Waaf Williamson

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