IWM Duxford Spies in the Skies exhibition launches

Spies in the Skies: Second World War Aerial Intelligence runs until February 25, and uses historic aircraft, film and photography to demonstrate how aerial reconnaissance developed and significantly improved over the course of the conflict.

Westland Lysander V9312 is the only airworthy British-built example of its kind. (Image: IWM)

The exhibition will highlight the role of the Photo Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), and those tasked with undertaking these highly dangerous but critical missions.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the RAF initially set out to improve aerial intelligence gathering by modifying existing aircraft.

The first aircraft trialled for this purpose was the Submarine Spitfire, best known for its iconic role in the Battle of Britain.

WAAF flight officer photographic interpreter with two Canadian pilots of a photographic reconnaissance squadron, examining newly-developed film (Image: IWM)

Spies in the Skies features four historic airworthy Spitfires: Mk XI PL983 and Mk XI PL965, both with a blue camouflage paint scheme to disguise the aircraft while flying at night, a Mk XIV Spitfire, which served in the Royal Indian Airforce and was adapted to accommodate cameras, and IWM’s own Mk 1 N3200 Spitfire.

A replica Mk I Spitfire, painted in the same pale pink colour scheme used to camouflage the aircraft at sunrise and sunset, will also be on display.

Visitors will learn how PRU pilots had to battle both the enemy and the elements as they flew deep into hostile territory, often unarmed, unaccompanied and in extreme conditions.

IWM’s Mk. 1 N3200 Spitfire which will feature in Spies in the Skies: Second World War Aerial Reconnaissance (Image: IWM)

The fuselage of Spitfire Mk IV AA810, which was shot down in 1942 on a mission to capture images of the German battleship Tirpitz, will be on display. 

The aircraft’s pilot, Flt Lt Alastair “Sandy” Gunn, survived the initial attack but was captured and imprisoned in Stalag Luft III Prisoner of War camp and later executed after participating in the Great Escape.

The aircraft was recovered from a peat bog in Norway in 2018 and is currently undergoing a full restoration to make it airworthy again.

Visitors can also see the Westland Lysander V9312, which flew over 30 reconnaissance sorties in 1940-41, and the Lockheed 12A Electra Junior, a civilian aircraft which was adapted for use by the Secret Intelligence Service in 1939.

Photographers at Benson testing cameras before installing them in a PR Mosquito (Image: IWM)