I have been helping the widow of an old chum of mine to dispose of his collection of aircraft and aviation related photographs on a well-known auction site. Some are of Soviet warships and date from his time on PR Canberras. Three carry the printed inscription across the bottom "...Confidential US/UK Eyes Only", with a date in 1970.

How do you think I stand on these? My feeling is that they must have been long declassified, particularly as the ships must be razor blades by now, but I'm not keen to get a visit from the guys in a car with blackened windows.

Anyone know how long these security classifications last?

I recall once being 'asked' by some Air Wheel's bottom-wiper for prints of photos I'd taken (own camera, own film) from the FunBus - so that the Air Wheel could have them for his office wall.

Cibachrome prints from slides being rather expensive, I asked who would be paying....

The AW's b-w sniffily tried to tell me that they were Crown Copyright, so I should just send him the slides.....

"Oh dear, that's a shame. I seem to have lost them. So you'll have to take your own piccies, I guess....CLICK!"

Hmm, I thought, better tell my Flt Cdr in case poo came my way.

"Did you tell him to f*** off?", he asked.
"Not in quite those words"
"Well, I would have done. If he calls back, let me know and I will tell him!"

hmm,
I wonder if anyone would notice if you just sliced the titling strip off?...:E

Security markings - always a PITA!

When I was holding at Valley betwixt Gnat and Hunter courses, one of the Gnat Sqn Cdrs left his little daughter in his office for an hour or so, whilst he went off on some station business.

When he got back, he was a bit miffed to find that the little cherub had found his rubber stamps and ink pad - and had stamped virtually everything she could find as 'SECRET' or 'CONFIDENTIAL'. Took a bit of explaining to the Feds when he had to get everything officially destroyed....:(

TTN, contact the clearance department at Northolt. He may help or pass it on yo the Media guy at MoD.

Under the 30 year rule they may well be declassified. As they have probably not been published the Crown Copyright 120 year rule will then apply.

Enjoy.

PS,

Work cleared and I published 9 years ago has now been refused clearance after 're-editing. The information, now 40 years old is deemed too sensitive. In reality we think it is a young no nothing who finds kit easier to say no.

Ref the 56 Sqn checkerboard tails ... am I right in remembering that "Authority" got overexcited as the design omitted the r/w/b fin flash? And that this marked the beginning of the end for colourful Lightning markings?

Fighter Command disbanded on Tuesday 30 April 1968, becoming part of the new Strike Command. On Wednesday morning, 1 May, No 74 Sqn's Lightning F6s were pulled out of their hangar onto the line at Tengah, all sporting black tails. The 'official line' at 74 was that whilst FC had banned coloured fins, FC no longer existed and no such edict had been received from STC. :ok:

I'm sure there's a Tiger Mate here who remembers the occasion.


(The paint on the fin leading edge eroded quite quickly - I think they were re-done, at a more leisurely pace, with better quality paint later on)

Isn't unauthorised photography of/on military property an offence under the OSA (technically ;)).

Thanks for the advice guys. I think I'll take Haraka's advice - seems to be the easiest solution.

You are right St John's Wort. I was once sitting in my old Zephyr convertible with the hood down near the airfield at Seletar taking photographs of whatever was airborne at the time. A Land Rover pulled up and the WO i/c RAF police gave me a polite but firm bollocking for taking photos on MOD property without a permit.

Luckily he didnt insist I hand over the film, so I was able to keep my photos of highly classified Beverleys and Twin Pioneers!

A lot of pics from that time period, which were Classified, have been passed to the IWM and are on line:

Collections listing for "part of "SURFACE FLOTILLA PHOTOGRAPHIC UNIT (SFPU) ARCHIVE: CLASSIFIED COLLECTION"" | Imperial War Museums

I've seen copies of Recognition Journal (still marked as 'Restricted') for sale at shows/jumbles as well.

OMG, so the overhead picture I have of Gemas Strip in Malaya (Restricted) is still ... ummm ... Restricted after all these years? (photo dated 22 Nov 67)

Should I eat it, shred it, or hand it in to the Police?

(I have signed the OSA, and was PV(TS) ... does that help?)

My favourite was a set of ground shots in Haraka Senior's very extensive archives ( now donated ) of a new fighter.
The views of the beast on the ground, photographed from the prime aspects, were all classified:

They were of the SS37 !!! :ooh::ooh:




Classified "MOST SECRET"!!!!!:oh::oh:







Some of you might know it as the Gloster Gladiator.:eek:

Here you go Haraka ...

A gift from me to you :ok:

I took the picture recently at the Goodwood Revival on my Phone Camera :eek: ... The Fighter Collection's Mk2 SS.37 no less ... resplendent in 72 Squadron Colours :cool:

http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5fa2cff5.jpg

Image Credit : Self

Coff.

OOOH!

Coff!
Look over your shoulder mate !

Nice knowing you !

(Officer I've never heard of him, HONEST !
No!, No ! Not the electric cattle prod again....... )

West Coast ...

Just to add to BEagle's reply to your #37 ... 'our' Meteor (aka Meatbox) came in a variety of interesting forms ... not least a sole example of this lash up (F8 Prone) :eek:

There were a total of 22 Meteor variants (including the prototypes)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...teor_Prone.jpg

Image Credit : Wikipedia Media Image

Used for experimental work on the (then) perceived benefits of a Pilot flying in the Prone Position (I just know I'm going to regret typing that :E)

If you are further interested ... more here ...

Wikipedia Gloster Meteor

Coff.

Coff

So the back-seater can play 'mummies and daddies'? :E

https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/187712256/h00A5C21F/

LJ

RAF Institute of Aviation Medicine's Ronny Wombeck (sp?) was one of the stars in that programme.
Gave me my first civvie aircrew medical renewal from his offices near Sloane Square - many decades ago.

saw the prone pilot Meteor in a museum-Cosford?- walked away quickly.

XM704 prang photograph
 

Izod,


I wish I had been paid to take such photographs, I'd be a rich man by now. I was just an airmen who carried his camera 'on the job', so anything that moved, or didn't in this case, ended up on film.


Ray

All ...

By way of update ... I have just spoken with Ray. We are good ... I've offered to buy him a beer and have a chat sometime when he's less busy :ok:

He is happy for the Gnat pic to remain as posted on this Thread ...

Many thanks Ray ... hope to see you on PPRuNe Mil more often in the future.

Coff.