RAF's No. 2 School of Photography

Members of the WAAF Women's Auxiliary Air Force looking at a passing out card, on completion of their training course at the No. 2 School of Photography. 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. Each cohort on the training programme designed and made their own passing out cards, generally consisting of small caricatures of each phase of the course, complete with a few verses or a parody of a poem. The evening before their last day each cohort would hold a small farewell party for their instructors.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 Caricatures Chapman Cohort Colleagues Collected Compiled Completion Consisting Dunton Generally Herself Knicky Palatine Parody Poem Raf S Reconnaissance Saidman Secondary Technicians Verses Waaf

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