In April 1941, Lieutenant A. D. Fraser USN relieved Lieutenant Robert S. Quackenbush USN in the Bureau of Aeronautics, Flight Division, as officer in charge of the Naval Photography Section.

During the late spring and summer months of 1941, plans were being formulated to expand and modernize Naval photographic facilities ashore and also aboard ships, especially aircraft carriers.

The Naval School of Photography at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida was in the process of being expanded to accommodate up to 100 students per class with the possibility of having three eight hour photography classes per day during a six day week for the full 26 weeks of instruction, which, after a six months period of photography classes starting every 30 days, would then be able to graduate about 100 photography students every thirty days.

During the summer months of 1941, the production of training films for the U.S. Navy was transferred from the Bureau of Navigation, Training Division to the Bureau of Aeronautics, Flight Division, Photography Section, in the Navy Department, Washington, D.C.

The Navy Training Film unit under the Bureau of Aeronautics, Photography Section, in 1941 was organized and placed into operation by Lieutenant Tom Orchard USNR, with three or four Naval Reserve officers who were operating under the direction of Lieutenant A. D. Fraser USN.

The production of training films in 1941-1942 was obtained by award of contracts to commercial motion picture production companies located in New York City; Detroit, Michigan; Chicago, Illinois and Hollywood, California.

During the late summer months and early fall of 1941, Lieutenant A. D. Fraser USN made arrangements with "March of Time" in New York City, where a number of U.S. Naval photographers were given training in the production of professional news reel motion pictures that were then being released weekly to our Nation by the "March of Time."

Late in 1941 or early 1942, Lieutenant Bonnie Powell USNR reported for duty in the Bureau of Aeronautics where he was assigned to the photography division for the purpose of establishing a motion picture film library for all motion picture films produced by the various Naval photographic units around the world.

Also about this period of time, Lieutenant Commander Edward Steichen USNR reported for duty in the Bureau of Aeronautics where he was assigned to the photography division for the purpose of establishing a historical - pictorial public relations unit.

During the latter part of 1941, Captain Herbert Taylor USN reported for duty in the Bureau of Aeronautics, where he was assigned duty as officer in charge of the photography section under the director of the flight division, which was a time of expansion and modernization of Naval photography throughout the entire Navy.

Great demands were being made for all kinds of photographic services, some of which the Navy had none or very little.

The Bureau of Ships people were crying for microfilm services for which, in 1941, the Navy had none.

The Navy Department public relations exerted pressure for more and better photos for release to the Nation's press services in connection with favorable publicity to help recruiting units around the country get men to volunteer for aviation and general Naval service assignments.

Late in 1941, LCDR. Quackenbush had returned from England and his observer duty in connection with aerial photographic reconnaissance - photographic interpretation. Quackenbush's major recommendation was that the Navy needed airplanes designed for aerial photography operations, with the aircraft being able to fly higher, faster and farther than any other airplane. The airplanes must get to their assigned target areas, take the pictures of the area and return to home base. A photo plane that does not return with photos of the assigned target area is of no value.

It was late in 1941 or early 1942 that Lieutenant Commander Howell J. Dyson USN and Chief Photographer Daniel J. Farrell USN were out in San Diego, California trying to put together a Naval air photographic reconnaissance squadron with a bunch of junked airplanes that no one else had any use for.

In the early months of 1942 and continuing throughout the year and during the years 1943 and 1944, the demands for U.S. Naval photographic services grew by leaps and bounds which required a huge increase in authorized funds, photographic officers and enlisted personnel, huge quantities of photographic equipment and supplies and a huge expansion of photographic facilities.

As an example, in 1938, the entire Naval photography budget was $138,000; by 1944 it had grown to $50 million. In 1938, three Naval officers were assigned to photographic duties along with about 225 enlisted Naval photographers; by 1944, about 5000 officers and enlisted personnel were assigned photographic duties throughout the entire Navy, and some 2500 officers and enlisted personnel were assigned to the five fleet air photographic reconnaissance aircraft crews and ground support operations in the Pacific Ocean area.

In 1938, the Naval School of Photography at NAS, Pensacola, Florida was graduating some 36 to 40 officers and enlisted in one year; in 1944 the Naval School of Photography was graduating some 1200 officers and enlisted per year.

On December 15, 1941, eight days after the Japanese had made their attack on Pearl Harbor, Lieutenant A. D. Fraser USN and Chief Photographer George A. Carroll USN were in Rochester, N.Y. where they attended scheduled meetings with the Eastman Kodak Company Architectural - Engineering personnel at Kodak Park in connection with the preparation of and development of the plans for the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory project, which at that time was one phase in the general plan to modernize and expand all U.S. Naval photographic facilities.

After two days of meetings in Rochester, N.Y., Lieutenant Fraser returned to Washington, D.C. with Chief Photographer George Carroll remaining in Rochester attending meetings with the architectural - engineering personnel of the Eastman Kodak Company.

By Friday noon, December 19, 1941, the Eastman Kodak Company architectural - engineering division had completed three plans for the proposed Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

Chief Photographer George Carroll returned to Washington, D.C. where he presented the three Eastman Kodak Company plans for the Photographic Science Laboratory to the Director of the Photography Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, Captain H. W. Taylor USN and assistant Director Lieutenant A. D. Fraser USN, who approved one of the plans and directed Chief Photographer George Carroll to telephone the approval to the Eastman Kodak Company architectural – engineering division, and for them to immediately proceed with developing the detailed plans for the U. S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

During the period January 1942 to September 1942, Chief Photographer George Carroll divided his time between his Navy Department office and the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. in connection with development of the architectural - engineering plans, specifications for the construction of and equipment procurement for the U.S. Naval Photgraphic Science Laboratory at the U. S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C.

Also during this period, George Carroll prepared the organizational set-up for the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, which was approved by Captain H. W. Taylor, USN and Captain C. Durgin USN, with the Naval Bureau of Personnel being requested to procure the officer and enlisted personnel to staff the laboratory.

Early in January, 1942, the Naval Photography Section in the Bureau of Aeronautics, Flight Division was changed to Naval Photography Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, with Captain Herbert W. Taylor USN designated as the Director and Lieutenant Commander A. D. Fraser USN as the Assistant Director.

During the years 1941, 42, 43, 45, the utilization of Naval photography was modernized and greatly expanded for World War II operations.

Photography became an important function during the WWII years as there were increased numbers of Naval aircraft carriers, aircraft squadrons, aircraft bases, amphibious command ships, battleships and cruisers of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets, construction battalion units, submarine units, Naval training stations, and Naval and Marine aviation training stations, all of which required a great number of officers and enlisted personnel to service the demands created by WWII.

Late in 1941 and early 1942, the production of Naval training films was transferred from the Naval Bureau of Personnel to the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics, Photography Divsion, where professional officers and enlisted personnel were engaged in the production of training films (motion pictures and slide) by civilian companies and Naval units. Lieutenant Tom Orchard USNR and Lieutenant Orvile Goldner USNR were the main organizers and directors of the Naval training film production section in the Bureau of Aeronautics Photography Division during WWII.

In 1942 the science of Photographic Interpretation became operational under the guidance of Lieutenant Commander Robert S. Quackenbush, Jr. USN who established the school at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C. where, during WWII, some 500 officers were trained as photographic interpreters and were assigned to photo interpretation duties in Washington, D.C. "JIGPOA" (Joint Intelligence Group Pacific Ocean Area); South Pacific Solomon Island Area; Central Pacific - Marshall Islands - Mariana Islands; Ryukyu Islands - Okinawa; task force aircraft carriers and the interior of China.

Also in 1942, the first fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadron was placed into operation at the U.S. Naval Air Station San Diego, California and assigned to the South Pacific Solomon Islands area in early 1943.

During 1943-44 four additional fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons were placed into operation and assigned to the Pacific Ocean area.

The U.S. Naval School of Photography at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida in 1941-42-43-44 was expanded to the point where 100 students were being graduated each month after a 22 week school period. Therefore during 1942-43-44 approximately some 3600 enlisted men were graduated from the photography school and assigned to duty on aircraft carriers, fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons, U.S. Naval air stations, Naval air bases, amphibious command ships, submarines, construction battalions, combat camera units, the photographic science laboratory and naval photographic supply depots.

During the WWII years, the Naval Bureau of Ships in the Navy Department, Washington, D.C. and various Naval shipyards, repair docks, and repair ships had microfilm photo units in operation which produced millions of feet of microfilm.

All of the above mentioned operations required a great many units of photographic equipment items, a vast amount of photographic film, paper, chemicals and a host of photo-lab supplies, most of which, to be of any usable value, especially in the tropics, required special storage and handling by personnel who had the specialized training or experince in photographic equipment and supplies. Therefore, special Naval photographic equipment and supply depot units were placed into operation at the following listed depots under the general policy rules set forth by authority of the Director of Naval Photography Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, Washington, D.C.

U.S. Naval Aviation Supply Depot, Philadelphia, PA.
U.S. Naval Supply Depot, Oakland, CA.
U.S. Naval Supply Depot, Honolulu, T.H.
U.S. Naval Supply Depot, Norfolk, VA.

And in late 1944, Naval photo supply depots were placed into operation at Espiritu Santo in the Vanuatu Islands, South Pacific, Manus Island in the Admiralty Islands and Guam.

Early in 1942, Lieutenant Commander A. D. Fraser USN Assistant Director, Photography Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department and Mr. James McGhee, Vice-President in charge of the Sales Division of the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. were instrumental in interviewing and selecting qualified Eastman Kodak Company employees who were interested in the Naval Service as photographic supply depot officers.

The first two Eastman Kodak employees to be commissioned and assigned duty as naval photographic supply depot officers were Thomas O'Toole, Ensign USNR and Charles "Chuck" L. Resler, Lieutenant USNR.

Ensign O'Toole reported to the Naval photography division in April 1942, where he received his instructions concerning the Naval photographic supply depot system that had been put together by Lieutenant Commander A. D. Fraser and Chief Photographer J. M. "Doc" Haynie. After a few weeks in Washington, D.C., Ensign O'Toole went to the Hawaiian Islands where he established and operated a Naval photographic supply depot in the Kuhio theater in Honolulu .

The Navy had taken over the entire Kuhio theater, removing all the seats for storage space of photographic equipment and supplies. As the theater was air conditioned, the environment for storage of sensitized photographic film and paper was excellent to keep the photographic supplies needed for the pacific area.

The next Kodak employee to be commissioned was C. L. "Chuck" Resler, Lieutenant, USNR who reported to the Bureau of Aeronautics, Photography Division, who, after about six weeks with Lieutenant Commander A. D. Fraser and Chief Photographer J. M. "Doc" Haynie, went to the Naval Aviation SUpply Depot at Philadelphia for a two week training period, and then to the Naval Aviation Supply Depot at Oakland, California where he organized and operated the Naval Photographic Supply Depot with three civilian helpers to handle the great quantities of equipment and supplies needed for the Navy's far-flung photographic operations in the Pacific.

By July-Aug. 1942 the Oakland Naval Photographic Supply Depot began to receive a large number of requistions from Pacific Ocean area Naval bases and ships of the Pacific Fleet combat units.

Because the photographic equipment and supplies involved were well known to Chuck Resler and weren't mere stock numbers, Chuck and his helpers did an outstanding job in not only receiving and storing the photographic equipment and supplies, but also in distributing the items requisitioned to the Naval units in the Pacific Ocean area.

In the fall of 1942, several other Eastman Kodak employees were commissioned and ordered to duty in the Navy as photographic supply depot officers.

Lieutenant W. S. Robson USNR went to Oakland where for a time he was an assistant to Lieutenant C. L. Resler.

Lieutenant F. M. Cornwell USNR went to the Naval Photographic Supply Depot, Norfolk, VA.

Lieutenant T. D. Major USNR went to the Naval Photographic Supply Depot, NAS, San Diego, CA.

Lieutenant W. C. Campbell USNR and Lieutenant T. C. Roberts USNR both were assigned to the Naval Photographic Supply Depot at the Naval Aviation Supply Depot, Philadelphia.

In the summer of 1943, Lieutenant C. L. Resler left the Oakland Naval Photographic Supply Depot in the hands of Lieutenant W. S. Robson and he reported for duty in the Office of the DIrector of Naval Photography Divsion, Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. where he became the officer in charge of the Naval photographic equipment and supply functions of the Navy.

The objectives of this office under the Director of Photography was:

1. Obtain suitable photographic equipment in proper quantities and oversee its distribution to meet Naval needs.
2. Advise regarding procurement of specialized items of all types of photographic equipment.
3. Maintain and issue sundry items of photographic supplies maintained in the Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department Photography Division for emergency purposes.
4. Instruct official observers in the use and operation of the Kodak Medalist Camera and 16mm motion picture cameras.

The function of the photographic equipment supply section in the photographic division was:

1. Participate in joint efforts for establishment of photographic requirements for the Navy.
2. Formulate specifications for suitable photographic equipment.
3. Issue procurement directories and shipment orders.
4. Oversee the revision of standard photographic stock list and quarterly photographic report, including correction, nomenclature, stock numbers and prices.
5. Oversee the preparation of allowance list for photogra phic materials and initial distribution of such materials.
6. Maintain liaison with the Bureau of Naval Personnel in matters regarding the handling of identification cameras and related accessories.
7. Compile and maintain a quarterly overall stock inventory of all photographic materials in stock at the designated supply points.
8. Compose correspondence of a routine and technical nature regarding photographic equipment and supplies.

As the progress of WWII operations in the pacific moved westward and north toward Japan, two small but efficient Naval photographic supply depots were placed into operation.

Lieutenant T. C. Roberts USNR was the photographic supply depot officer at the U.S. Naval Base on the Island of Manus in the Admiralty Islands.

Lieutenant Karl Rusch USNR and Lieutenant Robert Bromley USNR established and operated the Naval Photographic Supply Depot at the Naval Base on Guam.

By mid 1944 Charles L. Resler had been promoted from a senior grade Lieutenant to the rank of Lieutenant Commander USNR, and his Naval photographic equipment-material supply section of the Bureau of Aeronautics, Photography Division had expanded with additional Kodak employees who had entered the Navy for duty assignment in connection with photographic equipment-material supply operations.

Lieutenant Stanley Butler USNR, Lieutenant Briggs Austin USNR and Chief Photographer Specialist (P) Gabler USNR worked in the Bu Air photo supply systems offices under Lieutenant Commander C. L. Resler.

All of these people were specialists in their respective fields and did an outstanding job, especially Chief Gabler who was really a bulwark in the Washinton Naval photographic supply operation.

During the WWII years 1942-43-44-45, the Naval Photography Division in the Bureau of Aeronautics was greatly expanded by additional personnel needed to cope with not only the functions in the photographic division in Washington, but also the vast and complicated problems that were encountered in the organization and operation of the various photographic units that became operational, which needed all the help that the Director of Naval Photography in Washington could give them.

Many of these units, while they may have originated in Washington with some direct connection with the Director of Navy Photography Division, became somewhat distant from the Washington D.C. area, and were operating in war torn areas under the immediate control of the U.S. Armed Force Command of the area. However, the Naval Photographic Division of the Bureau of Aeronautics was primarily responsible for selection of officers and men and the supply of equipment and materials for the mission assignments.

In 1938 Lieutenant Robert S. Quackenbush, Jr. USN was the officer in charge of the Photography Section, Flight Division of the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics in the Navy Department, Washington D.C., having, at that time, W. L. Richardson, photographic scientist as his assistant, Joe Walsh civil service photographer as operator of the Bu Air photo copy lab and one typist-file clerk, Frances Weaver.

By July-Aug 1944 the Naval Photography Division of the Bureau of Aeronautics had expanded in the Navy Department Building on Consitution Ave., Washington D.C. to over 200 officers, a few enlisted men and women and a small number of civil service employees.

During the WWII years a number of naval photographic units became operational for which the Director of the Naval Photographic Division of the Bureau of Aeronautics and his staff became highly involved in a great number of problems in connection with the justification for, formulation of and the administrative approval for the intended utilization, procurement of qualified personnel, equipment and materials for the function of the various photographic and related units within the United States and war zones of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean areas.

The following is a partial lit of U.S. Naval photographic units that were in operation during WWII: Naval photographic supply depots, fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons, photographic interpretation units, aircraft carrier photographic units, combat camera units, training film production units, micro film production units, pictorial-historical units, "V" mail units, Naval School of Photography, Class "A", "B", "C" and "D" photographic laboratories.

By mid 1942, the photographic division in the Bureau of Aeronautics was like a bee hive, everything a-buzzing in connection with aerial photographic reconnaissance-photographic interpretation, a highly classified subject matter at the time.

Some 16 to 20 B24 four engine, high altitude, long range airplanes had been allocated to the Navy for aerial photographic reconnaissance operations.

The B24 airplanes had their bomb bays modified to accomodate eight aerial cameras mounted in supporting racks in the bomb bay, in lieu of bombs.

The B24 airplanes had special engine super chargers to increase the operating altitude to around 25,000 feet.

The B24 also had six positions for twin 50 caliber machine guns, nose gun, top gun, tail gun, ball turrett in the belly of the airplane and port and starboard side waist guns.

The B24 revised for Naval photographic reconnaissance had a range of some 3500 miles with a flight endurance of some 16 to 18 hours with a normal crew of 12: pilot, co-pilot, navigator, radio operator, two camera operators, nose gunner, top side gunner, tail gunner, ball turrett gunner, port side waist gunner and starboard side waist gunner.

The B24, revised for the Naval photo recon operations, was designated a PB4Y-1P (photo liberator twin tail) for land base operations.

At about the same time that we got allocation approval for the PB4Y-1P photo liberator airplanes, the F4F7P Grumann single engine fighter type airplance was to become available for photographic reconnaissance operations from aircraft carriers.

Due to the F4F7P Grumann photo plane having no machine guns or bomb carrying features, not very many pilots cared for assignment to photo recon missions, and also very few of the fast carrier task force carrier commanders wanted any airplane in their group that did not have machine guns or bombing capabilities, therefore the Grumann F4F7P photo plane was not used on aircraft carriers until late in WWII in the Pacific Ocean area.

In 1942 with the PH4Y-1P (photo Liberators) coming into operation, the Navy needed a great number of aerial cameras for use in photographic reconnaissance operations.

At that time, the Navy had a fair number of Fairchild K3B- 12" aerial cameras and Fairchild F56-8", 12" and 20" cameras. What was needed was a sizable number of K-18-24" (9" x 18" picture size) and F-56-40" (7 x 7 picture size) aerial cameras.

Late in 1942, Lieutenant Commander H. J. Dyson USN had Fleet Air Photographic Squadron One at San Diego, California organized and was going through a training period with the eight airplane PB4Y-1P crews and the ground crew for a complete self supporting advance base operation in the pacific.

Early in 1943, Lieutenant Commander Robert J. Stroh USN organized the second fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadron of eight PH4Y-1P (photo liberators) at San Diego and was in a training status at NAS Miramar, when they were ordered to NAS Barbers Point on Oahu, T.H.

By early 1943, it became evident that before the end of 1943, or at least by the middle part of 1944, the Navy would have to man and equip four or possibly five fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons of eight PB4Y-1 (photo liberators) per squadron for advance base operations in the pacific. Therefore as the subject matter of Naval Photgraphic Reconnaissance was then highly classified, and carried an A one A priority, the Director of Photography and his staff in Washington had a tremendous job for procurement of personnel, aerial cameras and vast amounts of photographic film, paper, chemicals and other related photo materials needed in the Pacific Ocean area.

In addition to the fleet air photographic reconnaissance- photographic interpretation requirements, the Director of Photography and his staff in the Bureau of Aeronautics were also involved with photgraphic problems in a number of Naval operations, some of which carried high priority and others a routine nature.

The procurement of aerial cameras needed by the fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons was a tremendous job that had to be accomplished in a very short time in 1942-1943 by the Director of Naval Photography and his staff in Washington, D.C.

The manufacture of aerial cameras, lenses and various parts for the cameras became a major problem, due to the limited manufacturing capacity of the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation.

A number of subcontracts had to be awarded to various small manufacturing companies in order to get the aerial camera parts fabricated and delivered to the Fairchild Company for the final assembly and testing of the cameras that were so badly needed by the Naval fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons.

Lieutenant Commander A. D. Fraser USN, Assistant Director of Naval Photography was the principal approving officer who had to investigate and approve each of the subcontracting companies that was selected to furnish lenses and camera parts to the Fairchild Company, which was the prime contractor for the required aerial camera units needed by the U.S. Navy.

LCDR. Fraser and his small staff performed an outstanding job in surmounting the many problems that were encountered in connection with getting the subcontractors investigated and approved, in getting the required priority approval from the war production board for material needed for the aerial cameras and getting the details worked out and the procedure set in place for delivery of the camera units to the U.S. Naval photographic supply depots which had the responsibility for delivery of the camera units directly to the five fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons during WWII in 1942-43-44-45.

During a two year period from mid 1942 to mid mid 1944, over 450 aerial cameras were built by the Fairchild Camera Corporation for use by the five fleet air photographic squadrons in the Pacific.

During that same two year period, a number of aerial cameras were also manufactured by the Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation which were used by aircraft carriers of the several task force commands in the Pacific Ocean area.

Aerial cmeras also had to be built and supplied to the various U.S. Naval air stations, Naval air bases, U.S. Marine Corps aviation units and U.S. Army Air Corps units.

During the 1942-45 WWII years, the expenditures for photographic equipment and supplies needed by all U.S. Naval and Marine Corps units ran into many millions of dollars. In fact, the expenditures for all U.S. Naval photographic requirements became so large and all inclusive, that it became necessary for the Navy to set up and operate its own Naval photographic accounting system in the Photographic Division, Bureau of Aeronautics, Navy Department, Washington D.C.

Early in 1942 the Director of the Photographic Division became responsible for all U.S. Naval photographic requirements needed by all Naval aviation units ashore and afloat, Naval amphibious operations, submarine operations, training film production, motion picture and still historical-pictorial photography, combat photo units, micro film-document photo units, the greatly expanded Naval School of Photography at NAS Pensacola, Florida, the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at NAS Anacostia D.C. and also specialized equipment needs for photographic interpretation units in the pacific and in the Washington D.C. area, plus personnel requirements for all Naval and Marine Corps units that had authorization for photography.

During WWII years 1942-1945, photography was widely used by almost all major U.S. Naval avaiation units, aircraft carrier- task force ships, and submarine units with rewarding achievements, however some applications in the use of photographic equipment and related services presented problems which had to be resolved by action of the staff personnel under the Director of Naval Photography in the Bureau of Aeronautics, who worked with research and development personnel of the Eastman Kodak Company, Fairchild Aerial Camera Corporation, and Bausch & Lomb Optical Company in perfecting the equipment and/or methods of operation in which some difficult problems were solved.

The following were just a few of the many problems encountered and solved by Naval and civilian personnel during WWII.

Early in the war a camera was used on the periscope of Navy submarines which became damaged beyond repair when the periscope was lowered in action with the enemy.

The Eastman Kodak Company research and development people became involved in the problem through Lieutenant Commander A. D. Fraser, which was solved with the adaptation of the Kodak Medalist camera to a swing around mount that could be quickly cleared from the submarine's periscope when so ordered by the commanding officer during an engagement with the enemy.

In 1943-1944, the Edgerton light was used by the fleet air squadron's patrol wing, Atlantic Coast for low altitude night photos to record the results of low altitude bomb attacks on German submarines.

Late in 1943, the Fairchild K-17 aerial camera coupled to electric photo cells was used for high altitude 25,000 foot night aerial photography of Japanese held islands in the pacific by the illuminated source generated by the two million candle power photo flash bombs that were dropped from the PB4Y-1 (Liberator) photographic reconnaissance aircraft.

Late in 1943 to early 1944, the development of and operation of the Sonne Strip Aerial Camerra for low altitude stereo aerial photos enabled aerial photographic military intelligence information to be obtained on certain small Japanese held islands in the pacific area.

U.S. NAVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SCIENCE LABORATORY NAS ANACOSTIA D.C.

Late in 1941, the Bureau of Yards and Docks and Potomac Naval River Command had selected a building site on the east side of the Naval Air Station, Anacostia D.C. for the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

Test borings had been made at the construction site, which indicated that the proposed U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory building would have to be supported on a wood pile foundation.

By late January 1942, the Eastman Kodak Architectural- Engineering Division had developed the necessary building load factors by which the Bureau of Yards and Docks had the Potomac Naval River Command, Public Works Department, prepare the detailed drawings for the construction of the foundation which was a systematic cluster of wood piles 65 to 70 feet driven into the ground in clusters for cohesion bearing.

These wood pile cluster tops were encased in a very thick reinforced concrete cap and tied together by reinforced concrete beams, which altogether formed the foundation for what was then called a floating support.

This type of floating support was necessary at the Anacostia Naval Air Station because the earth area at the station had no rock or solid clay base, it being river silt collected and deposited by the Potomac and Anacostia rivers over many centuries.

The first piles were driven in mid February 1941. Detailed structural drawings from Kodak permitted the placement of the steel and the pouring of the concrete for the laboratory first floor, while the second floor detailed drawings were still on the Kodak Engineering Divisions drawing boards.

The second floor placement of the steel and the pouring of the concrete was also done before the third floor structural drawings were completed.

The U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia D.C. was completed and placed into operation early in March 1943, a period of 13 months for the construction, procurement of and installation of the building service equipment and the procurement and installation of the photographic laboratory, production and office equipment at a total cost of about five million dollars appropriated by Congress.

In April 1942 Lieutenant Commander Thorne Donnelley USNR reported for duty in the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics and was assigned duty as the officer in charge of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, then under the direct responsibility of Chief Photographer George Carroll, who had a small office facility in the Navy Department Building on Constitution Ave., Washington D.C.

LCDR. Donnelley was provided a desk in Chief Carrolls office, where he operated in close harmony with Chief Carroll in the development of the plans, specifications and organization for the project U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

Late in April 1942, Lieutenant William Barry USNR reported for duty in the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics and was assigned to the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory project, who like LCDR. Donnelley, worked in very close harmony with Chief Carroll. LT. Barry's assignment was mainly in connection with procurement of qualified professional personnel for the laboratory project.

Thorne Donnelley in 1918 served in the U.S. Naval Service as an Ensign who completed his flight training at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida, and was designated as a Naval heavier than air pilot in World War One.

After the war was over in November 1918, Donnelley was released from active Naval Service and returned to his former employment at the Donnelley Corporation in Chicago, which was a professional printing business that had been established by Thorne's grandfather in 1880.

During the years 1919 to 1942, Thorne Donnelley held a number of administrative positions with the Donnelley Corporation advancing to the position of Corporate Secretary.

Thorne Donnelley was thoroughly acquainted with the professional uses of photography as used in the printing- publishing business.

He held membership in a number of professional clubs in Chicago, New York City, Miami and Palm Beach, and was well known in the business world of the United States.

Thorne Donnelley's acquaintances in the business- professional-political fields were a great help to the U.S. Navy in the procurement of qualified professional personnel to man the operational divisions of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

Lieutenant William Barry USNR was the second officer to report for duty in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory organization. William Barry was from the Eastman Kodak Co. Sales Division.

In late May or early June 1942 Lieutenant Roy Deering USNR and Ensign William Hedden USNR, from the Eastman Kodak Co., Film Processing Division, reported for duty to the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory organization.

Lieutenant Deering was assigned duty as the division head of the lab's research and development operations.

Ensign Hedden was assigned the job of getting the orders placed for the laboratory equipment requirements as set forth by Chief Carroll along with the laboratory equipment layout drawings.

Early in June 1942, Chief Carroll held a meeting with Ensign Hedden when he turned over to Ensign Hedden the laboratory equipment layout drawings, specifications and quantity required.

Chief Carroll set forth the required procedures for the procurement of the laboratory equipment items and instructed Ensign Hedden that he was to assemble an enlisted work crew at the Anacostia Naval Air Station to receive, unpack, identify, tag and store the various pieces of equipment in a ready condition to be moved from storage into the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory upon orders from Chief Carroll at a later date.

Chief Carroll did not see Ensign Hedden until around the later part of November of 1942, at which time Carroll inquired as to the status of the equipment procurement program. Ensign Hedden assured Carroll that by the first of January 1943, he would have 99 percent of the equipment items ready for movement into the laboratory.

Late in February 1943 Carroll issued instructions to Ensign Hedden to move the equipment items from storage into the laboratoy assigned spaces.

Ensign Hedden and his crew late in February-early March 1943, in less than two weeks, moved the equipment items into the main laboratory offices and production areas which placed the entire plant into full operation in early March 1943.

Early in July 1942, Chief Photographer George A. Carroll USN was advanced to Lieutenant Junior Grade USN unrestricted line officer with duty assignment as assistant officer in charge U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia D.C. Chief Carroll was the first enlisted U.S. Naval photographer to be advanced to commissioned officer rank in the regular U.S. Naval Service.

The following listed Eastman Kodak personnel in 1941-1942 were the most active people who developed the plans and specifications for the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory:

John Scott, E. K. Co. Management Representative
Col. Carey Brown, U.S.A.(Ret.), E. K. Co. Engineering Manager
Ralph Eckberg, E. K. Co. Assistant Engineering Manager
Ralph Cook, E. K. Co. Superintendent ECM & U Div.
Phillip Elliot, E. K. Co. Asst. Super. ECM & U Div.
Lloyd D. Jackson, E. K. Co. Group Supervisor, Unit #3
Louis E. Mross, E. K. Co. Mechanical Engineer, Unit #3
John Rogers, E. K. Co. Electrical Engineer, Unit #3
Herbert Bowdin, E. K. Co. Electrical Engineer, Unit #3
Ray Frenz, E. K. Co. Structural Engineer, Unit #3
Charles Moore, E. K. Co. Architect, Unit #3
Mr. Donald W. (Pat) Patterson was the Navy Department, Bureau of Yards and Docks, Architectural-Engineering Division representative for the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory project.

Lieutenant John McFadden (CEC) USN was the officer in charge of construction of the U. S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at NAS Anacostia.

Late in June or early July 1942, Mr. Louis Mross, E. K. Co. Mechanical Engineer was brought to Washington D.C., where he provided engineering services to Lieutenant McFadden in connection with various contractors' performance of their respective work in construction and installation of equipment in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

In mid 1942, Captain Elmer Andrew USAR reported for duty on special assignment to the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory. Captain Andrews was an M.I.T. graduate mechanical engineer and had several years professional engineering service with the Eastman Kodak Company prior to World War II.

The U.S. Navy obtained the services of Captain Andrews U.S. Army Reserve by special orders issued by Assistant Secretary of War by arrangement with and at the request of the Secretary of The Navy, Frank Knox.

During the construction of the photographic science laboratory and installation of equipment, Captain Andrews provided professional engineering services to Lieutenant McFadden and also worked closely with Mr. Louis Mross in getting the right equipment installed correctly and tested for the intended operations.

During the construction and equipment installation of the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory from July 1942 to March 1943, Louis Mross and Captain Elmer Andrews provided outstanding professional services which permitted the laboratory to be completed and ready for full operations in March 1943.

Upon placing the U.S. Naval Photographic Laboratory into operation in early March 1943, Captain Elmer Andrews, USAR was assigned duty as officer in charge of the engineering and maintenance division, a position he held until he was released from active duty in the latter part of 1945.

In 1942, the nation's supply of copper was priority allocated by the War Production Board for urgent-critical equipment needs by the armed forces of our country in fighting a war. The priority allocation giving to the U.S. Naval Photographic Laboratory was a long way down the list and was scheduled for delivery to our project late in 1942 or early 1943, with the possibility of an even later delivery date. Therefore the Eastman Kodak Co. engineers had to redesign the electrical bus bar switch gear by means of using silver to take the place of copper.

The use of silver presented a number of problems: The electrical switch gear room had to be re-designed into a vault with a heavy steel door similar to a bank vault with security alarms-dial locks because of the high dollar value of the silver that would be in the bus bar switch gear. Additionally an approval permit from the U.,S. Treasury was required for the allocation and use of the silver.

After several months getting all that was required for us to use silver instead of copper, suddenly the War Production Board changed the project's priority allocation for copper which was delivered in time so that the very expensive vault and the highest level of security were not required.

Another construction problem of the laboratory involved the second delivery of reinforcing steel for the second and third concrete floors.

The reinforcing steel had been fabricated at a steel mill near Pittsburg and was loaded on two railroad flat cars ready for shipment to Anacostia about one week in advance of the scheduled shipment date from Pittsburg.

A phone call was received from the Naval Materials Inspector in Pittsburg who stated that the reinforcing steel was loaded on rail cars and ready for shipment, but the War Production Board co-ordinator in Pittsburg would not approve letting the shipment move from Pittsburg until the scheduled date which was about seven days away.

The construction project at that time was ready for and needed the reinforcing steel for the second floor. Lieutenant John McFadden asked me to do all I could to expedite the material that was under the WPB allocation for the construction of the Anacostia lab.

I discussed their problem with LCDR. Thorne Donnelley who was personanlly acquainted with Mr. Knudsen, the CHairman of the War Production Board.

Commander Donnelley phoned Mr. Knudsen who promised that the two car loads of steel would be shipped from Pittsburg that day. Mr. Knudsen told CDR. Donnelley that the WPB office in Pittsburg would send a telegram later in the day which would give the name of the carrier, bill of lading number, train number, car numbers and the expected date and time of arrival at the Washington DC incoming freight marshalling yard.

Later that day the telegram from Pittsburg giving all the needed information was received, so CDR. Donnelley loaded his pockets with some 1200 to 1500 dollars in 100 dollar bills and went to the Washington, DC freight yard about two hours before the B. & O. freight train was due to arrive.

CDR. Donnelley passed out a flock of 100 dollar bills to various railroad employees who were instrumental in getting the two cars of the steel speedily unhooked and coupled to a local freight engine and a caboose which delivered the two car loads of steel to the railroad siding at the Anacostia Naval Air Station during the night.

Had this intercept in the Washington freight yard not been made, it would normally have taken three or four days for the railroad people to haul the two cars from the Washington DC freight yard through the nearby Maryland countryside to the Anacostia Naval Air Station.

Another problem that was encountered was 316 and 304 stainless steel needed by Eastman Kodak to fabricate chemical mix and storage tanks and tanks for the 35mm and 16mm motion picture film processing machines. The Navy had a fairly high priority allocation from the WPB but the stainless steel fabrication in the U.S. Steel mills at Pittsburg was scheduled in their production line some 10 to 12 months in the future.

After two to three weeks searching the nation for stainless steel for the laboratory project, very little was found, but two cargo ships at anchor in San Francisco Bay held a large cargo of 316 and 304 stainless steel which had been fabricated in 1940, stored in San Francisco and loaded on the two cargo ships in late November 1941 for shipboard transportation to the Dutch Netherland Indies.

The two cargo ships sailed from San Franciso Bay late in November 1941 and were proceeding toward the South Pacific when the Japanese attack was made on December 7, 1941.

The two cargo ships turned around and returned to San Francisco Bay where they were riding at anchor for months awaiting orders. The cargo on board was under the control of the lend-lease authority in the U.S. Treasury Department.

After becoming aware of the two cargo ships loaded with stainless steel riding at anchor in San Francisco Bay, we got the War Production Board people on the tail of the Treasury Department afterwhich it wasn't long before the two cargo ships were unloaded at San Franciso and the entire cargo of stainless steel was shipped by WPB allocation orders to various companies in the U.S. who needed the material to fabricate urgent equipment for the armed services.

Eastman Kodak got their share of the stainless steel to fabricate the tanks for the Anacostia Lab and also some for items required by the U.S. Army and other Naval units.

Early in the laboratory design stage at the Eastman Kodak Engineering Division, Rochester was the Navy's requirement for a motion picture sound stage, an area of about 160 feet in length by 120 feet in width by 20 feet high. This space was to be used for studio set ups for sound motion pictures that would be produced by the Navy.

The laboratory was to be constructed on the east side of the U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia DC which had a north-south airplane landing-take off strip within 200 feet of the laboratory site which presented a problem.

The Kodak Engineering Division did not have any engineers with experience in designing a building with a motion picture sound stage close to an air strip, so after a day or two discussing the problem, during which time I was attending their engineering meeting, Mr. Jackson suggested that they call in a sound studio engineer from RCA who had written a book on motion picture sound studio requirements which was regarded as a bible to the Hollywood motion picture studios.

I gave my approval for calling in the RCA sound engineer and that the expenses of such consulting work be made a separate charge to Eastman Kodak to be billed in triplicate to the NOY contract number.

The RCA sound engineer arrived a day or so later and spent about a week going over various engineering details with the Kodak architects-engineers during which time they came up with a proposal to build a building within a building, with an air space between the main laboratory building and certain type of sound absorbing materials to be applied to the walls and ceiling of the sound studio.

The sound studio was not to bave any solid structural connections to the main laboratory buiding.

Detailed architectural-structural-mechanical-electrical drawings for the sound studio were made by the Kodak Engineering Division with the assistance of RCA engineering services.

After the Anacostia laboratory was completed and placed into operation, twin engine airplanes were taking off and landing on the air stations north-south strip less than 200 feet from the laboratory building, and at no time were any problems experienced during the studio sound recording operations.

In September 1941 specifications for various functions in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory were prepared which later in 1942 created a few problems that were not forseen when the specifications were originally prepared.

In September or October 1941, the Navy decided to provide for its 35mm and 16mm film sound recording-reproduction by the use of a variable density sound track system that was then produced by Western Electric, a division of AT & T.

Contact was made with the Western Electric Government representative in the Washington DC office who disclosed that Western ELectric could furnish their variable density sound recording-reproduction equipment on a royalty basis, which was based on a footage fee. Upon checking the proposed royalty fee with the Navy Department legal people, it was advised that under certain Congressional legislation, the Navy could not legally enter into a royalty fee arrangement for the Western Electric sound system for this project.

Upon trying to get Western Electric to agree to sell the Navy its equipment for a fixed sum, the manager of the Washington DC Western Electric office informed the Navy that the equipment could not be sold for a fixed sum. Therefore we gave up on Western Electric and prepared our general specifications for a variable area sound system for the Radio Corporation of America, which was set up in the Eastman Kodak engineering and equipment procurement specifications.

In late April or early May 1942, after the Eastman Kodak and the RCA engineers had spent some two months working on their detailed drawings and specifications, when one day in our Navy Department office, LCDR. Thorne Donnelley, USNR was looking over some of the detailed drawings and specifications that we had from the Eastman Kodak engineering division, he remarked "George, how come we are getting the RCA variable area sound recording- reproduction system, when it is well known that the Western Electric variable density is the best in the motion picture industry?"

I informed CDR. Thorne Donnelley that in late 1941 we tried to get the Western Electric variable density system and was told by their Washington DC office that they could only furnish their Western Electric sound system on a royalty fee basis at so much per foot of film that was run through their equipment, and that I had checked with our Navy Department legal people and found that we could not enter into a royalty fee contract, leading us to go to the RCA variable area sound system. CDR. Donnelley said "George, I am going to call my friend Sam Gifford in New York, he is the president of AT & T and I have know Sam for many years. Maybe he can do something about this royalty fee business of Western Electric."

CDR. Donnelley called his friend in New York and explained to him about the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory project and that he and the naval photographic people wanted the Western Electric variable density sound system.

CDR. Donnelley also told him that the Navy was prohibited by law from entering into a royalty fee contract. CDR. Donnelley wanted to know if there was any way in which the Navy could get the Western Electric variable sound system on a fixed sum basis, to which Mr. Gifford said that he was sure that something could be worked out to the satisfaction of the Navy and the Western Electric people.

The next day after CDR. Donnelley's call to his AT & T friend in New York, a call came in from the president of the Western Electric division to CDR. Donnelley and arrangement was made by which two of the Western Electric engineers would meet with us in Washington the following week to review the scope of the project and work out the details for a Western Electric sound system for the Navy's project on terms that would be satisfactory to the Navy and the Western Electric division of AT & T.

The two Western Electric engineers arrived in Washington where they spent a few days working out the details of the Navy's motion picture sound recording-reproduction requirements and a formal contract was signed by which the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory would be equipped with Western Electric's variable density sound recording-reproduction system for a fixed sum with a provision in the agreement that said, for the use of the U.S. Navy for the duration of the war, and that if and when the Navy wanted to discontinue the use of the Western Electric sound system, Western Electric retained the right to take back the equipment at a figure to be agreed to by the Navy and Western Electric.

After the Western Electric people had departed from our office in the Navy Department, I remarked to CDR. Donnelley, "now what are we going to do about the RCA variable area sound system which has been in the hands of the Eastman Kodak and the RCA engineers and is almost in its final form for approval to fabricate the required units for our project?"

CDR. Donnelley said "George, you call your Kodak Rochester engineers and tell them to forget about the RCA sound system and to proceed to work with the Western Electric engineers in New York who are to furnish the necessary engineering information to Kodak for their use in preparing the drawings and specifications for our sound recording-reproduction system."

CDR. Donnelley said "I'll call my friend ------- ----------- who is the president of RCA in New York and tell him that the Navy does not want the RCA variable area sound system in the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at Anacostia and that the Navy will use the RCA variable area sound system in the two ground trucks that are being built by the Studebaker Auto Co. for our laboratory project."

I made my phone call to Mr. John Scott in Rochester, who in turn told the Kodak engineering division to cancel the RCA variable area sound system for the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory and that George Carroll would be in Rochester in a day or two and would furnish to Kodak the necessary instructions for cancelling the RCA system and the engineering requirements for the Western Electric Division of AT & T to furnish a variable density sound system for the Navy project.

I arrived in Rochester about two days after my call to John Scott. I first had a short meeting with Mr. Adolph Stuber, Vice- President of Kodak Sales DIvison where we signed the necessary papers cancelling the RCA system and issued instructions for the Eastman Kodak Company and the RCA Company to submit their bills for labor, etc., that they had expended on the cancelled project.

The task of having to face the various engineers, draftsmen, planners and Kodak Divison managers wasn't easy. Many questions were directed to me, most of which I tried to answer without letting the Kodak people know about CDR. Donnelley's phone call to his friend the president of AT & T.

This cancellation cost the Navy project a good sum of money, however we did get a good Western Electric variable density sound system for the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory for a fixed sum of about 1/2 million dollars.

In late July or early August 1942, when I arrived in Rochester and contacted Mr. John Scott, he informed me that Mr. Adolph Stuber, E. K. Co. vice-president in charge of the Eastman Kodak Sales Division wanted to see me. I promptly reported to Mr. Stuber's office where he told me that the management of the DeLuxe Film Laboratory in New York City had a 35mm motion picture film processing machine that they would gladly sell to the Navy for use in the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

Mr. Stuber mentioned that the DeLuxe Film Laboratory in New York was a very good customer of Kodak and that they were a very large user of 35mm Kodak motion picture film. Mr. Stuber urged me to give the DeLuxe motion picture film processing machine consideration in lieu of the 35mm motion picture film processing machine that was outlined in the Navy equipment specifications. I informed Mr. Stuber that I would look into the subject upon my return to my Navy Department office.

During that week while in Rochester, I had lunch one day with Mr. Capstaff of the Kodak Company research division. I told Mr. Capstaff about Mr. Stuber's talk to me about a 35mm motion picture film processing machine in the DeLuxe Film Laboratory in New York City that was for sale to the Navy in lieu of the 35mm motion picture film processing machines that were outlined in our Navy equipment specifications.

Mr. Capstaff said he was thoroughly familiar with the 35mm motion picture film processing machine at the DeLuxe Film Laboratory in New York, telling me the history of this particular machine, about the problems that the DeLuxe Lab had with the machine and that in his opinion, the Navy should not take the lemon from the DeLuxe Lab, as we would have nothing but problems with the machine that would be costly to correct.

Mr. Capstaff felt that DeLuxe wanted to unload their machine on a government order and then they could use the sale to the Navy for obtaining a WPB allocation order for critical materials to build a replacement machine.

Mr. Capstaff recommeded that we stick to our Navy equipment specifications.

Upon returning to my Navy Department office, I conferred with LCDR. A. D. Fraser who told me about the 35mm motion picture film processing machine that the DeLuxe Film Laboratory in New York City had for sale for our Navy photo project in lieu of the 35mm film processing machine outlined in our Navy equipment specifications.

CDR. Fraser told me about a phone call from a senator or congressman who implied that the Navy should take the DeLuxe Film Lab motion picture machine which was available at a reasonable cost and that this would be a saving on critical materials needed in the war effort. CDR. Fraser thought it might be a good idea if I was to go to the DeLuxe Film Laboratory in New York to look the machine over and decide whether or not this particular machine could be used in the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

I agreed with CDR. Fraser regarding making a visit to the DeLuxe Film Lab to look over their 35mm motion picture film processing machine for possible Navy use.

I went to the DeLuxe Film Processing Lab in New York where I met Mr. Friedman, the lab manager, with whom I had a nice lunch and listened to his sales pitch as to the fine features of the 35mm motion picture film processing machine, and to a number of his reasons why the Navy should buy this machine in lieu of the one outlined in the Navy equipment specifications.

That afternoon I was shown the 35mm motion picture film processing machine that the DeLuxe film laboratory wanted to sell to the Navy for $50,000.

During my inspection of the machine I asked a number of question, for most of which I got an evasive answer. I left the DeLuxe Film Lab late in the day, after talking to several of the DeLuxe Film Lab people. I made no committment in regard to the U.S. Navy purchase of the DeLuxe Lab machine.

Upon my return to my Washington Navy Department office, I reported to Captain H. Taylor, LCDR. A. D. Fraser and LCDR. T. Donnelley in full detail about my talk with Mr. Stuber and Mr. Capstaff of the Eastman Kodak Co. in Rochester and also with Mr. Friedman and his people in the DeLuxe Film Lab and my evaluation as to the Navy purchasing the DeLuxe Film Lab 35mm processing machine in lieu of the outlined equipment specifications.

I did not recommend the purchase of the DeLuxe machine and I gave a number of reasons to support my recommendation. CAPT. Taylor, CDR. Fraser and CDR. Donnelley agreed with me. I informed Mr. Stuber, Mr. Scott and Mr. Jackson of the Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY as to the decision of the Navy in regard to the purchase of the DeLuxe machine. The Kodak people accepted our decision without question.

The Deluxe people attempted to bring congressional pressure to bear on us in an effort to take their machine. We stuck by our Navy outlined equipment specifications.

The 35mm and 16mm motion picture film (negative and positive) processing machine for the U.S. Navy Class A and Class B Photographic Laboratories were of the Tendency drive type and were built by the Eastman Kodak Company in Rochester, N.Y. and the machines operated in full compliance with the outlined equipment specifications.

Another equipment item that was needed for the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory was the Bell & Howell 35mm Model "D" motion picture film printers which were on order from the Bell & Howell Co. in Chicago.

After the Bell & Howell Co. had our order for some four months, we were advised that their company would not be able to furnish the printers as their entire manufacturing facilities had been taken over for high priority war production equipment.

We became aware of the Bell & Howell inability to furnish the printers along in November 1942. I mentioned the Bell & Howell printer problem to Lieutenant Gordon Chambers USNR who had been the Eastman Kodak Company Hollywood California representative to the motion picture studios in California for several years and was well acquanted with the people and their facilities in the various motion picture film processing-printing laboratories in the Los Angeles-Hollywood area.

Gordon told me that the Universal Studio in Universal City (which was just north of Hollywood) had several Bell & Howell 35mm Model "D" motion picture film printers stored in the basement of a certain building in their studio complex. He said that other printers had been used when Universal Studio had a film processing laboratory and when they closed their film lab they stored the printers for possible future use.

I telephoned the president of the Universal Studio Corporation in his New York City office and told him that the U.S. Navy was in dire need of 35mm Bell & Howell motion picture film printers and that I had information regarding some Bell & Howell printers stored in the basement of a building at their Universal Studio complex in California.

We proposed to purchase or lease the printers for the duration of the war for use in the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

The president of Universal Studio Coporation said if they had any equipment needed by the armed forces of our Nation, we could have it, and he told me to get in touch with the studio general manager in Universal City, who would arrange for the transfer of the Bell & Howell 35mm motion picture film printers to the Navy.

Lieutenant Gordon Chambers and I arrived late in December 1942 at Long Beach, California where we took a boat to the U.S. Naval Air Station, Terminal Island, California where prior arrangements had been made for that command to furnish us with a car for our visit to the Hollywood, California are on official Navy business.

Gordon Chambers and I were both in officers uniform and were permitted entry by the Long Beach Dock Buard, the Naval Air Station Dock Guard and the guard at the main entrance to the station's administration building without any form of challenge of our identification, so upon reporting to the commanding officer and after hand delivering to him a personal letter from Captain Herb Taylor, I informed the Captain that LT. Chambers and I were permitted by the area security guards to arrive at his officer without any challenge for our identification, and at that time both Chambers and I presented the commanding officer with our identification cards.

The Captain thanked us for bringing this security problem to his attention and stated that it would be corrected before the day was out.

He said that the public works department had a car waiting for out use. Gordon Chambers and I proceeded from the Naval Air Station at Terminal Island to the Universal Studios in Burbank where we met with the manager, who had one of his assistants take us to the building where the Bell & Howell 35mm motion picture film printers were located.

There were six the Model "D" printers covered with canvas in a basement storage space. The printers had not been used in several years, during which time they had collected a lot of dust.

Gordon and I both surmised that all of the printers needed a thorough cleaning and overhaul, replacement of worn parts, removal of old dried oil and grease, new lubrication and test run for the printing of 35mm motion pictures.

Arrangements were made to have the Universal Studios deliver the six printers to the Acme Tool & Die Company in Burbank, were we made arrangements for that company to overhaul the printers, perform a test run for proper operation and then crate and ship the six printers to the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, Anacostia DC.

At the time of our visit to the Universal Studios and to the Acme Tool & Die Company, I gave the necessary instruction for their charges incurred in connection with the six printers for the Navy.

The six Bell & Howell 35mm motion picture film printers were delivered to Anacostia late in February 1943 about two weeks before we officially placed the U. S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory into operation.

While LT. Chambers and I were in the Hollywood area, we had an occasion to visit the RKO Motion Picture Studio, where we had a demonstration of a special transitional 35mm-16mm reproduction machine which was a combination of a 35mm-16mm camera and duplication printer.

This machine was the only one in the motion picture industry. RKO studio management, offerred to give the Navy their engineering drawings of the machine if the Navy had use for such a machine and wanted to build one.

The machine at RKO studio was operated by Mr. Cecil Love who was an expert in the use of this machine. I talked with Mr. love and was very much impressed with his knowledge as to what and how the machine could be used.

Mr. Love stated that if the Navy built one of these machines, he would be willing to enlist in the Navry for the duration of the war as a photographic specialist "P" operator of the machine in the Anacostia laboratory.

Shortly upon my return to my office in the Navy Department, Washington DC, we accepted RKO's offer for the engineering drawings, authorizing the Acme Tool & Die Company in Burbank to construct one machine for the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory and furnishing them with the necessary WPB priority allocation.

We authorized the Los Angeles Navy Recruiting Station to enlist Mr. Cecil Love in the U.S. Naval Reserve with the rating of a Chief Petty Officer, photographic specialist for duty in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, Anacostia, DC.

About the same time that we had the Acme Tool & Die Co. working on the six Bell & Howell 35mm printers, we issued an order to that company to fabricate two special 35mm animation camera units based on engineering drawing furnished by the Walt Disney company.

During the summer of 1942, we issued orders for several items of specialized photographic equipment for use in the Anacostia Laboratory, some of which were developed by Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories in Rochester and fabricated by Eastman Kodak shops in Rochester.

It is not possible to list all of the equipment items however. A few are mentioned as they became very useful in our Naval photographic productions at Anacostia.

Aerial roll film printers with electronic negative scanners for printing on sensitized role paper.

Continuous roll paper processing machine including an attached paper drying drum.

A 300 line per inch copy camera system for offset printing press reproduction of stereo pairs of photographs used in photo interpretation.

In addition to the Anacostia Laboratory having complete modern photographic facilities, we also had a complete machine shop, a plating shop and a model building shop.

We had our own plant refrigeration systems for our air conditioning systems and a 75 degree below zero equipment test room and a tropical temperture-humidity condition room for equipment testing under tropical conditions.

We also had our own boiler buiding with two oil fired boilers. We had a cafeteria on the third floor and kitchen facilities that were operated around the clock, seven days a week. We had our own security system for the handling of classified matters up to and including "Top Secret."

Early in March 1943 when we placed the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory into full operation, we had some 50 officers, about 450 enlisted and a small staff of Civil Service Personnel.

The U.S. Naval Photographic Laboratory at the U.S. Naval Air Station Anacostia had eighteen operating divisions.

The laboratory at Anacostia was authorized as a department under the commanding officer NAS Anacostia for administrative purposes and was directly under the Director of Photography, Division of the Bureau of Aeronautics for operational purposes.

Aer-PH-RZ
N8-8/NA6

13 February 1943


21624

From: The Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.
To: The Secretary of the Navy

Via: The Vice Chief of Naval Operations

Subject: Establishment of the Photographic Science Laboratory at U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C.

Reference: (a) SecNav lst End. Serial 410723 dated August 29, 1941 to Record of Proceedings of Naval Photographic Board convened by order of the Secretary of the Navy.

1. Reference (a) approved the Proceedings and Recommendations of the Naval Photographic Board and, in part, didrected the construction, in the near vicinity, of a laboratory "equipped along the most modern and efficient lines."

2. The subject laboratory is now nearing completion and authorization is requested to include it in the Shore Establishment Plan under the title of United States Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, United States Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C.

3. The personnel of this laboratory will operate under the administrative command of the Commanding Officer, U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C. with the functional policy and productive procedure as directed by the Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

/s/ JOHN S. McCAIN,
Rear Admiral, U.S.N.,
Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics

Copy to:
Asst. Secretary of the Navy for Air

H.W.Taylor
Captain, USN,
2/12/43
R. Zarneke


In March 1943, the U.S. Naval Photographic Laboratory was placed into full operation with eighteen (18) operating Divisions.

The Naval photographic Interpretation Unit occupied space in the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory and was operated directly under the Chief of Naval Operations and the Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics.

The operating divisions of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory in March 1943 was as follows:

Officer in Charge LCDR. Thorne Donnelley, USNR
Asst. OIC LTJG. George A. Carroll, USN
Personnel LT. Lloyd Wilson, USNR
Supply LT. Jullian Parvin, USNR
Training Schools LT. John McMasters, USNR
Ships Service-Cafeteria LT. Newbold, USNR
Operations LTJG. Harry Baudu, USN
Engineering & Maintenance CAPT. Elmer Andrews, USAR
Research & Development LT. Roy Dearing, USNR
Writers-Directors LT. W. Githens, USNR
Motion Picture Photography LT. Winton Hoch, USNR
Motion Picture Film Process. LT. Wilson Leahy, USNR
Motion Picture Editorial LT. Bischoff, USNR
Art-Animation CAPT. Paul Fennel, USMCR
Music LT. Emil Velasco, USNR
Sound Recording LT. Hansen, USNR
Graphic Arts LT. Richard Gardner, USNR
Still Photography LT. Donald Holmes, USNR
Aerial Photography LTJG. Basil Houser, USN

During the months May 1942 through Feb. 1943 while the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory was under construction at NAS Anacostia, it had a number of officers and enlisted men reporting for duty in Washington, D.C.

In order to provide some semblance of a military unit somewhat geared for its intended function, the Navy leased a building at 22nd and E Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. which was designated as Temporary "E" facility.

The Temporary "E" facility was used for the daily assembly of our specialized photographic personnel and for some phases of production procedures of training films and the ever expanding requests for micro-film services.

By September 1942, we still needed a number of officers and enlisted personnel in the various eighteen divisions of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, which was scheduled to be in operation in early 1943.

Captain H. W. Taylor, USN, Director of Photography, Bureau of Aeronautics, made arrangement for LTJG. George A. Carroll, USN to receive temporary additional duty orders to the U.S. Naval Recruiting office in Los Angeles, California and the U.S. Naval Officer Procurement Office in Los Angeles for the purpose of interviewing and authorization for the enlistment of professional manpower for duty assignment in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, NAS, Anacostia.

LTJG. Carroll was authorized to enlist qualified men as specialist "P" ratings from 3rd class petty officer up to and including chief petty officer.

Prior to LT Carroll leaving Washington, D.C., the Bureau of Personnel, officer and enlisted procurement division, got in touch with LT. Blanchard, USNR, the officer in charge of the Los Angeles recruiting office, who was briefed in regard to the specialized personnel needs for the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at NAS Anacostia.

LT. Blanchard made full use of the local Los Angeles-Hollywood newspapers and the local radio stations for the advance publicity for the specialized photographic people needed by the U.S. Navy.

By the time LT. Carroll arrived in Los Angeles, LT. Blanchard not only had a very good publicity program in operation, he also had secured the volunteer service of the following professional motion picture studio personnel who were Carroll's contact people in Hollywood for reference verifications and publicity within the various motion picture studios in the area in regard to qualified professional people interested in obtaining a commission or enlisting in the U.S. Navy for specialized photographic duty assignments:

Mr. Harold Lloyd RKO Studios
Mr. James Gleason MGM Studios
Mr. C. Roy Hunter Paramount Studios
Mr. Fred Gage Warner Bros. Studios

During the six weeks while at the Los Angeles Naval Recruiting office, Carroll interviewed some 350 men from the general photographic and motion picture profession in the Los Angeles-Hollywood area for enlistment in the Navy, of which approval of some 200 for specialist "P" photographer ratings ranging from chief petty officer to third class petty officers was made.

At the Naval officer procurement, LT. Carroll reviewed some 50 applications that were being sent to the Bureau of Naval Personnel for final approval or disapproval for commissioned officers and made a favorable endorsement and indicated an assignment billet on about 10 or 12 of the applications of professional people that he deemed qualified and that the Navy had a spot for their service.

After Carroll had been in Los Angeles about one month, he received a phone call from the Navy Department, Bureau of Personnel in Washington, D.C. directing him to report to Rear Admiral Johnson, USN (Ret) who had been recalled to active duty and was assigned commandant of the Naval officer procurement office in the Los Angeles area.

The U.S. Naval officer who called Carroll informed him that he was being issued temporary additional duty orders to organize and set up an office under Admiral Johnson for the purpose of enlisting women in the Navy as "waves" and the processing of applications from women who desired to become commissioned "wave" officers.

Carroll also was informed that they were going to send out a Naval officer within a week or so to assist in setting up the "wave" program in the Los Angeles area.

In compliance with the verbal instructions, Carroll reported to the commandant of the Naval officer procurement office, Rear Admiral Johnson, who stated that he had a phone call from the Navy Department Bureau of Personnel, Washington, D.C. in regard to placing into operation an office for the procurement of women for service in the "waves."

Admiral Johnson told Carroll that office space had been set up for the "wave" procurement program, and that his medical staff would take care of the physical examinations. He further stated that the Bureau of Personnel was mailing to his office the material to be used for public release to the newspapers and radio stations, and that as soon as they received the material, the public relations people would take care of that portion of the Navy's wave procurement program.

A few days later LT. Francis Jay, USNR, a wave officer, arrived in Los Angeles to assist in getting the "wave" program into operation in the Los Angeles area.

Carroll asked Miss Jay what she brought from Washington, D.C. Navy Department, Bureau of Naval Personnel in regard to recruiting women for service in the "waves." The lady had a few pieces of paper that had been used in the New York City area, which did not disclose much about which Navy trades our office was supposed to recruit women for in the waves.

Miss Jay stated that she had been informed in Washington, D.C. Bureau of Personnel, that LT. George Carroll would set up the wave procurment program in the Los Angeles California area. In words of content, Carroll's remarks to Miss Jay were "that is just great, now where do we go from here?" Carroll asked for the names and rank of the Navy Department Bureau of Personnel who had sent her out to Los Angeles. Miss Jay had the names and ranks of two or three newly appointed wave officers that were on duty in the Bureau of Personnel, but with Carroll not knowing any of them, he phoned a commander USN who was on duty in the Washington, D.C. Bureau of Pesonnel whom he had known for many years.

This Naval officer got busy and called Carroll back the next day telling him to set up a program to obtain women in the "waves" for Naval trades such as yoeman, photographic laboratory technicians, radio communications, cooks, bakers and any other Navy trade that could be done by a properly trained woman.

The main purpose was to get women in the waves for shore duty assignment in order to make men available for sea duty assignments with the Navy and Marine Corps' fighting units.

Carroll's Naval officer friend stated that women enlisted in the waves would be given trade school training after a short introductory training in Ottumwa, Iowa.

During a three week period from Oct.-Nov. 1942, LTs. Carroll and Jay formulated and placed into operation the "waves" procurement program in the Los Angeles, California area and authorized some 50 women into the Navy waves.

During Carroll's recruiting duty assignment in Los Angeles, he was in the habit of calling Capatain Herb Taylor about every ten days. During their talks over the phone, he was able to keep Captain Taylor informed on the progress he was making in obtaining professional people for the Naval Photographic Science Lab project.

One day during a talk with Captain Taylor, Carroll informed him that he had established a pretty good system for the personnel procurement program and that he proposed to return to Washington D.C. around the latter part of November, 1943.

Capt. Taylor stated that he wanted Carroll to make a short visit to the San Diego Training Film Production Unit that was operating at the Naval base under Capt. Bryon McCandless, USN, and also to make a visit to the NAS, North Island where CDR. Howell Dyson USN was forming a fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadron.

The main purpose of the visit to the two units was to see if there were any major problems to which we might be able to give our attention in Washington, D.C.

The first visit was paid to the U.S. Naval Destroyer Base where Carroll listened and made notes of Capt. McCandless, Ensign Von Paul and Chief Photographer S. N. Farrar's problems in their effort to set up a visual training aid program that they felt was suited for their repair facilities which were then servicing destroyers and submarines.

Upon returning to Washington, D.C., Carroll turned his notes over to the officer in charge of the Naval training film section which in late 1942 was under the Bureau of Aeronautics, Director of Photography.

Five days were spent at the Naval Air Station, North Island with CDR. Howell J. Dyson, C.O. VD-1 Squadron, and LTJG. D. J. Farrell, the squadrons photographic officer.

At the time of the visit, they were just receiving the first PB4Y1-P four engine photo-reco planes and were in the first stages of setting up a training program for the flight crews for flight operation of their on board equipment that would be carried on a photographic-reconnaissance mission, covering enemy targets in the pacific area, prior to and during the Navy's assault forces engagements.

The five days spent at San Diego with CDR. Dyson and LT. Farrell were worthwhile, with the information learned in the discussions with Dyson and Farrell being passed on to Capt. Taylor in Washington, D.C. who could provide assurance that it would be used in connection with Bureau of Aeronautics plans for the photographic-reconnaissance squadrons that were going to be placed into operation in 1943-1944.

Outstanding features in setting up the operational requirements for a fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadron for advance base operations were the huge, huge quantities of materials and supplies needed for a complete self supporting air squadron. Everything from spare aircraft engines, balanced aircraft propellers and on down many pages to and including paper clips and toilet paper. In addition to the aircraft flight personnel were the base ground support personnel, all of whom had to be trained in their respective fields and certain cases, dual training back up personnel for continued operations, allowing for any loss of key officers and enlisted personnel due to enemy action.

In 1942 there were only a few Naval officers and chief photographers who had knowledge of what the primary mission of a photographic-reconnaissance squadron was to be in time of war.

The Director of Photography and his staff in the Bureau of Aeronautics and the commanding officer of VD-1 squadron and his staff had a difficult job selling the mission program for photo-recon operations to the Navy's top admirals like Nimitz, King, Hawsley, Towers, Mitsches and McCain mainly because aerial photographic reconnaissance and photographic interpretaion for military intelligence information was something very new for the Navy.

Late in 1942 to early 1943, CDR. R. S. Quackenbush, Jr. and his gypsies operating in the south pacific produced military intelligence information on the Japanese held islands in the Solomons which proved to the top military commanders and their staffs in the Pacific Ocean area, that aerial photographic reconnaissance and photographic interpretaion were very useful media for war plans operations.

By late 1942 a sizable group of Naval officers and enlisted personnel were assembled in Washington, D.C. under assignment to the U.S. Naval photographic Science organization awaiting the completion of the laboratory at N.A.S., Anacostia.

In November 1942 five officers and sixty enlisted men were assigned from the Washington, D.C. photographic science unit to temporary duty at Rochester, N.Y. where they were under instruction in the Eastman Kodak Company Kodachrome film processing division at Kodak park.

The Naval temporary duty group remained in Rochester until late Feb. 1943 when they returned to Washington, D.C. for regular duty assignment in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at NAS Anacostia, D.C.

Upon LT. Carroll's return in late Nov. 1942 from the Los Angeles recruiting assignment, the photographic science laboratory unit in Washington, D.C. had greatly increased in numbers of officers and enlisted personnel, many of whom were awaiting his return with questions concerning their duty assignments in the U.S. Naval Photgraphic Science Laboratory at Anacostia and the class "B" photographic laboratory then being built at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia.

Other officers in the Navy Department, Photography Division were awaiting LT. Carroll's return for answers to problems in connection with outfitting the fleet air photographic reconnaissance squadrons and Naval photography in general.

The first Naval officer on my agenda was of course Capt. Herbert Taylor, the Director of Naval Photography, though not being in his office on my first day back in Washington, I brought myself up to date on the progress of the Navy's Photographic Science Laboratory Project.

I met for the first time with a number of Naval Reserve officers assembled in Washington for the science laboratory project: LCDR. A. D. Fraser, LT. J. M. "Doc" Haynie, Mr. W. L. Richardson and LT. Harry Bauder.

During the course of my first day back LTs. Allvine, Levick, Monroe, Wrigley, Julier and two or three more reserve officers requested me to attend a dinner with their group at the National Press Club that evening.

I attended their dinner that evening at the National Press Club were I found that this group of Naval Officers had a selling job to do on me. They were proposing to place on board the new heavy cruiser USS DENVER, a motion picture production unit consisting of some six or eight officers and some 12 to 15 enlisted men for the purpose of making combat photographs from a heavy cruiser in combat under war conditions with the enemy during possible sea battles in the south pacific.

The cruiser DENVER was being outfitted and prepared for an early departure from the Navy Yard in Philadelphia to join our Naval fighting forces in the south pacific.

The captain of the new ship was Capt. Carney, USN, who had a small staff of regular U.S. Naval officers and a large number of Naval Reserve officers and enlisted men, most of whom had to be trained in their respective duties aboard the cruiser which would have to be done enroute to the south pacific.

This group of Naval Reserve photo officers had a very elaborate plan of motion picture epic coverage for an actual film production of a ship and crew starting with their shipboard navigation, communication, gunnery training and proceeding into combat with the enemy of Japanese battleships, cruisers, carriers, etc.

Well, I must say, I was appalled at the suggestion of using one of the Navy's fighting cruisers as a Hollywood motion picture production stage roaming about the island sea areas of the south pacific looking for a shooting event with a Japanese Naval force.

One of the officers that evening remarked to me: "LT. Carroll, the greatest show on earth is now taking place in the Pacific Ocean area and we are not there to record it on film. Please give us your approval to proceed with our planned motion picture filming of the war action in the Pacific. We need your approval to go on board the USS DENVER which will be our base ship of operations in the South Pacific Ocean area."

I was a good listener that evening at the National Press Club, telling the group that would have to confer with some of my senior Naval officers in arriving at an answer to their proposal.

The next morning I reported to Capt. Herbert W. Taylor, USN, the Director of the Naval Photography Division of the Bureau of aeronautics.

After giving Capt. Taylor my verbal report on the status of the personnel procurement program to staff the U.S. Naval photographic science laboratory, I apprised Capt. Taylor of the proposal by some of our assembled Naval Reserve photographic officers regarding a sizable group of motion picture prople going aboard the cruiser USS DENVER which they proposed to use as their base ship of operations in the Pacific Ocean area in filming war engagements between our fighting units and the enemy Japanese units.

Capt. Taylor remarked that he had heard about the proposal from LCDR. Thorne Donnelley and that he had not made any decision in the matter awaiting my return to Washington as he wanted to know how I felt about the proposal, given that the Naval Reserve officers involved had been certified for a certain duty assignment in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at the Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C.

I told Capt. Taylor that I agreed with the officer that a great show was going on and that we were not recording it on film, however, I was of the opinion that we could not saddle the commanding officer, Capt. Carney of the new cruiser USS DENVER, with a Hollywood motion picture production crew of six or eight officers and 12 to 15 enlisted men.

I suggested to Capt. Taylor that we might send a small motion picture unit to the cruiser USS DENVER consisting of two officers and five or six enlisted men and providing that these officers and enlisted men be made aware of the fact that number one, the cruiser USS DENVER was a fighting ship that would become a part of a U.S. Naval battle task force, subject to the operational orders of the task force commander and number two, due to possible fatalities on the cruiser USS DENVER in battle engagements with the enemy, the motion picture unit on board the DENVER might be required to man certain battle stations during an engagement or events on board after a battle engagement, therefore, if any such motion picture unit from our Washington D.C. photographic set up was to be ordered to the cruiser USS DENVER, I requested that I be permitted to brief the officers and men concerning their resposibilities and duties aboard a fighting ship of a Naval task force.

Capt. Taylor took my comments under consideration and discussed the proposal with Capt. Carney, who agreed to a small unit being aboard his cruiser USS DENVER. A week to ten days later Capt. Taylor gave his approval and appropriate orders were issued for a motion picture unit of two officers and six enlisted to the cruiser USS DENVER. The small unit was properly indoctrinated before leaving Washington D.C. with the full understanding that they would be completely under the orders of the DENVER's commanding officer and his ship's company officers.

The motion picture unit did go aboard the USS DENVER in early 1943 and participated in the ship's battle conditions training during its sea voyage from Philadelphia to the south pacific where the DENVER became one of the fighting ships of a heavy cruiser division under the commander of the U.S. Naval forces south pacific area.

The DENVER became engaged in several sea battles with Japanese Naval units in the Solomon Island area in 1943.

Our motion picture unit aboard the DENVER obtained some 35mm motion pictures during some of the battle engagements (though nothing outstanding as I recall), and some of our motion picture personnel on the DENVER did perform some duties by manning or assisting in battle manned stations during some of the ship's fighting engagements and also assisted in some of the ship's clean up-reconditioning after battle engagements with the Japanese forces.

The motion picture unit on board the DENVER in 1943 was under LT. John Levick, USNR, who later in 1943 returned to the U.S. Naval photographic Science Laboratory at Anacostia DC and was assigned duty as our laboratory operations officer.

While in Capt. Taylor's office that morning, he wanted to know what I thought about the Navy taking over the Trimble Laboratory in the Los Angeles area. I remarked to Capt. Taylor that I did not know anything about the Navy taking over the Trimble Laboratory, in fact I had never heard of the Trimble Laboratory.

I asked Capt. Taylor just what this Trimble Laboratory was to do for the Navy. Captain Taylor said that it was LCDR. Hutchinson's USNR idea to use the Trimble Laboratory for slide film production and to authorize the two principle laboratory owners to be commissioned USNR officers and that the four or five main lab crew be given enlisted USNR photographer specialist "P" rating, all of whom would stay in their respective job positions at the laboratory for the duration of the war producting slide films for our navy training film section, then under the Director of Naval Photography.

Capt. Taylor seemed surprised to learn that I had not been apprised of the Trimble Laboratory proposal and that LCDR. Hutchinson was supposed to have given me a tour of the Trimble Laboratory for an evaluation of the facilities prior to my returning to Washington, D.C.

I informed Capt. Taylor that I had seen LCDR. Hutchinson at the Walt Disney studios about ten days or so before I left Los Angeles and at no time did LCDR. Hutchinson mention the Trimble Laboratory or the possible commissioning of the two trimble owners or the enlistment of the laboratory workers in the Navy's photographic specialist "P" program.

While in Capt. Taylor's office, I questioned the need of the Trimble Laboratory facilities as well as the commissioning of the two owners and enlistment of the lab personnel.

I stated that I was acquainted with the privately owned slide film production company in New York City, Detroit and Chicago who had been engaged in producing some slide film training aids for the Navy and that I felt that these privately owned slide film production facilities were sufficient for our Naval training needs. I stated that I would however check with

LT. Goldner concerning the estimated needs for our Naval slide films.

Upon checking with LT. Goldner, USNR, the officer in charge of the Navy's training film section, I found that the need for slide films was not very great and that the privately owned facilities in New York City, Detroit and Chicago were more than ample for our slide film requirements, plus the fact that slide film production was planned for the Navy's Photographic Science Lab.

I reported back to Capt. Taylor that the Navy did not need the Trimble Laboratory or their personnel and I recommended that the proposed project be disapproved.

Capt. Taylor sent a letter to LCDR. Hutchinson, USNR at the Walt Disney studios in which he disapproved the proposal to take over the Trimble Laboratory, the commissioning of the two owners and the enlistment of the laboratory personnel.

A few weeks after Capt. Taylor's letter to LCDR. Hutchinson, I was summoned to the office of the Assistant DIrector of Photography, LCDR. A. D. Fraser, USN, who informed me that I was to accompany him to the Navy Department, Judge Advocate General's office in connection with a claim that had been filed by the owners of the Trimble Laboratory in which they were claiming a huge amount of money for a number of items allegedly caused by the U.S. Navy not taking over their laboratory.

LCDR. Fraser and I were interviewed by a couple of Judge Advocate General legal officers, during which time we were able to convince the reviewing legal officers that the majority of the Trimble claims were totally unjustified.

Most of our recommendations were accepted to the point where the Trimble owners were awarded $2000. with the commissioning of the two owners being disapproved. I don't recall the exact bases upon which the $2000. award was made, however I suspect that it was primarily based upon the fact that a commissioned U.S. Naval officer had given implied verbal assurances of the U.S. Navy taking over the Trimble Laboratory and all of its financial obligations, which included unpaid property taxes, mortgage payments, gas and electric bills, impending liens, etc. I assume that the U.S. Government paid the $2000. as I never heard anything further about the Trimble Laboratory claim.

During the period of April to December 1942, a number of changes were made in connection with U.S. Naval photographic operations ashore and afloat, so upon my return to Washington, D.C. in early December 1942, I spent about two weeks bringing myself up to date in regard to the major photography changes in Washington, D.C. and the various U.S. fleet forces.

During the summer to fall 1942, LCDR. A. D. Fraser and his immediate staff of two: LTJG. Haynie and Mr. W. L. Richardson, in order to speed up the procurement of urgently needed equipment, would upon being informed by the Bureau of Aeronautics budget office that additional funds had been approved for Naval photography, immediately telephone the suppliers of photographic equipment, and verbally order them to go ahead full blast with their supplying of urgently needed equipment, that they had been previously alerted to by Fraser, Haynie or Richardson to such companies as Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Fairchild, Graflex, Highlex, Wollensak, Todd Co., Keystone Camera Co., and others.

During the period July 1942 to Jan. 1943, other sections under the Director of the Naval Photography Division were growing by leaps and bounds.

LCDR. Bonnie Powell USNR and his small group had the Naval motion picture film library well established and was supplying releasable film footage to our nation's news reel services and certain types of motion picture film that were used in U.S. Treasury War bond publicity drives.

LCDR. Edward Steichen USNR had established a Naval Historical section with about 25 professional photographers who were brought into the U.S. Naval Reserve for the primary purpose of obtaining still photographs that were made in various world war II areas, which when properly enlarged and subject matter emphasized, were used for historical record and to glamorize certain Naval & Marine war operations.

Also, in some cases, they were used by the Navy Department public relations released information to attract the interest of young men of our nation in seeking a commission in the U.S. Naval and Marine Corps for duty as airplane pilots, airplane navigators, airplane bombardiers and certain aviation officers as air base facilities division officers.

LT. Carolton Mitchell USNR who was on duty assignment in the Navy Department public relations office, who with the help of LCDR. A. D. Fraser, USN, assistant Director Naval Photography, organized and trained a small group of professional motion picture cameramen into U.S. Naval-Marine Corps combat photography units.

These combat photo units consisted of one or two officers and three or four enlisted men who were especiallly equipped with portable 35mm-16mm motion picture cameras, and some small still picture cameras, which along with their forward area backpack and a rations pack allowed their accreditation as combat photographers who went ashore with the U.S. fighting forces during action with the enemy in North Africa, Sicily, Aleutian Islands and many of the pacific island areas such as the Marshall-Gilbert Island group, the Marianas group and Okinawa. Some of the combat photo units operated from aircraft carriers during some of the pacific fleet task force hit and run attacks on Japanese position on various islands in the south pacific and central-western pacific islands.

Another unit under the Naval Photography Director in 1941 to 1944 was the Naval Training Film section which, prior to 1941, was a defunct unit in the Bureau of Navigation, Training Division, and was transferred from BuNav to BuAir photography in 1941.

LT. Tom Orchard USNR was the first officer to report to BuAir photography for duty in the training film section.

By the fall of 1942, there were about 12 officers, about six enlisted and some six to eight civil service personnel engaged in the production of training films and slide films that were urgently needed by almost all Naval and Marine Corps personnel training centers.

Many of the training films produced by the Naval Training Film section were of great aid in training Naval and Marine personnel in a shorter time than that had been required before they had the training films.

The Naval Training Film Section had production contracts with a number of motion picture and slide film companies which, in 1941 to 1944 produced some outstanding training films.

Walt Disney studio in Burbank, California was one of the outstanding training film producers in World War II.

In Jan. 1943, I went to Rochester, N. Y. where I spent a week with our Naval photo unit that was under training in the film processing division at Kodak park.

This unit consisted of three Naval Lieutenants, one Ensign and some sixty enlisted men. The officers and the enlisted men had living quarters and mess facilities at the University of Rochester which were obtained by a U.S. Navy approved contract under the control and supervision of Mr. Adolph Stuber, Eastman Kodak, Vice-President.

This small group of officers and enlisted men were given training free of charge by the Eastman Kodak Company for a period of about three months.

The training mainly consisted of 35mm and 16mm color (Kodachrome) and black and white film processing by variable speed controlled capstaff tendency drive machines which were the same kind that were being installed in the Class "A" Photographic Science Laboratory at Anacostia and the Class "B" Photographic Laboratory at NAS, Norfolk, VA.

Most of the officers and enlisted men in the Rochester detachment I was meeting for the first time, and as I was a career Naval officer who had at that time some 20 years active duty, the group was full of questions which I tried to answer within the limits of my knowledge and within war time security requirements.

Most of these officers and men were professionals in one form or another in photography prior to their entry into the Naval Reserve.

During my Jan. 1943 visit to Rocvhester, N.Y., in addition to spending some time with our Naval group, I also had several meetings with the Eastman Kodak engineers who were working on the detailed plans for the U.S. Naval Class "B" photographic laboratories which were at that time being planned for construction at U.S. Naval bases located at Norfolk, VA; Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico; San Diego, CA; Honolulu, T.H. and Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

In Feb. 1943 the construction of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at the Anacostia Naval Air Station was nearing completion and as sections of the building were completed we moved equipment in and prepared for the official start up which then was scheduled for early March 1943.

In early March 1943, after just 13 months spent in construction-equipment procurement and installation, and the assembly of some 65 officers and 450 enlisted personnel, we officially placed the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory into full operation.

In March 1943, the U.S. Naval Photographic Laboratory was a military unit at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia, D.C. which, for operational purposes, was under the Naval Bureau of Aeronautics, Director of Photography and for administrative purposes was under the commanding officer of the Naval Air Station.

At that time, Capt. Ingersol, USN was the commanding officer of the Anacostia Naval Air Station.

Capt. Ingersol, for reasons of his own, designated LT. George A. Carroll, USN as assistant officer in charge of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, and was authorized as the direct representative of the commanding officer for administrative purposes.

LT. Carroll was authorized by the commanding officer to handle the laboratory personnel discipline cases for minor violations which were settled by restriction to the naval base, extra duty and plain warnings.

During 1943-1944, I am pleased to say we had no cases that resulted in any of our Naval Photographic Science Laboratory personnel being brought to trial by action of a court martial. We did have a few cases that resulted in restriction to the Naval base and a few who got assigned extra duty.

We had one case that involved one of the enlisted waves which turned out somewhat amusing.

The enlisted waves at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Anacostia in 1943 numbered somewhere around 350 and were provided living quarters and messing facilities in a wood framed building on the east side of the naval air station about two blocks south of the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

The enlisted waves at the naval air station were under LT. Frances Jay, USNR who had office space in our laboratory because most of the enlisted waves were assigned duty in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

One rainy friday morning one of the enlisted waves who was assigned duty as a living quarters cleaner, spent several hours scrubbing and polishing the linoleum floor in one of the enlisted wave barracks, when about 1145am one of the enlisted waves who had walked several blocks in the rain and mud, entered the wave barracks, which had been cleaned and polished in preparation for Captains Inspection scheduled for that afternoon.

The enlisted wave gal who had worked that morning getting her assignment in proper order for the Captains Inspection caught the enlisted wave with dirty-wet shoes walking across the highly polished floor leaving her tracks, so the wave compartment cleaner cussed her out and got some back talk which caused the compartment cleaner wave to haul off and knock the dirty shoe wave on her behind, which resulted in the compartment cleaner wave being placed on report and was subject to appear before me for a decision as to her guilt as charged and punishment.

The next morning our personnel officer LT. Lloyd Wilson, USNR and LT. Frances Jay, USNR called me for an appointment time for me to hear the case, so I set the time of 1030am in my office.

At 10:30am the group arrived in my office which consisted of LT. Lloyd wilson, LT. Frances Jay, my secretary Ensign Peggy Redpath, the enlisted wave compartment cleaner, the enlisted wave who got knocked on her ass by the wave compartment cleaner and another enlisted wave who was a witness to the affair in the wave barracks.

I was seated at my desk with all of the others in my office facing me. I opened the accused enlisted wave personnel record and read the report charges to the accused, then I asked the accused what she had to say for herself.

The accused enlisted wave standing in front of my desk leaned over placing one hand on my desk and remarked, "Mr. Carroll you used to be a white hat. What would you do if some 'son of a bitch' with wet dirty shoes walked across a floor that you had spent hours cleaning and polishing." I countered that remark by saying "young lady, you will conduct yourself as a lady in my office." The accused then remarked, "Mr. Carroll, I'll have you know that I am no lady."

At this point I looked up at LT. Wilson, Jay and Ens. Redpath who were grinning from ear to ear, and were almost ready to burst out laughing.

In my position I had to remain calm and with a stern reply to the accused, I remarked, "young lady, you will conduct yourself as a lady regardless of whether or not you are a lady."

I then ordered the case to be taken to the commanding officer of the Naval Air Station.

The accused appeared before Capt. Ingersol that afternoon who gave her two weeks restriction to the Naval Air Station.

Shortly after the group had departed from Capt. Ingersols office, the Captain called me on the telephone and wanted to know why I had sent such a trivial case to his office when I was authorized to handle such cases.

I explained to the captain as to what had taken place in my office that morning and that I felt that with this particular enlisted wave we have problems. Capt. Ingersol laughed and remarked that he did not think that we would have any problems with the enlisted wave who claimed to be "no lady."

About one week later, the enlisted wave while still on restriction to the air station, got drunk one night and was picked up by the station roving Marine patrol and taken to the stations dispensary where she was pronounced drunk.

The next morning our personnel officer, LT. Wilson and the stations senior wave office LT. Jay called me and wanted me to have the enlisted wave appear before me for disciplinary action for being drunk on the Naval Air Station while restricted to the base.

I refused to hear the case, telling them to take the gal back to Capt. Ingersol, which they did. Capt. Ingersol gave her another two weeks restriction to the Naval Air Station.

Capt. Ingersol called again and said "George, I guess you were right when you said we would have problems with the enlisted wave."

Capt. Ingersol told me that I asked the enlisted wave if she knew that consumption of alcoholic beverages on the air station by enlisted personnel was prohibited. The enlisted wave told Capt. Ingersol that she did not drink the whiskey on the Naval Air Station. Capt. Ingersol then questioned her as to how she got drunk if she didn't drink the whiskey on the air station, to which the enlisted wave replied that she gave a friend some money who purchased the whiskey and brought the bottle down to the chain link fence on the east side of the air station where she had a few swigs from the whiskey bottle through a straw while the whiskey bottle was on the outside of the Naval Air Station's fence.

Capt. Ingersol told me to use my Naval officer acquaintances in the Washington D.C. area and get the enlisted wave ordered to duty some where in the area outside of his command at NAS Anacostia.

I contacted a LCDR who was the commanding officer of the Potomac River Naval personnel receiving station, which was about one mile up the Anacosita river from the Naval air station. I explained to the C.O. of the receiving station our problem enlisted wave who claimed to be no lady, suggesting that she be ordered to the Potomac River Naval Personnel Receiving station and be assigned duty in the laundry division.

The C.O. of the Potomac River Naval Receiving Station agreed to taken our problem wave providing I could get the necessary orders issued.

I had no trouble getting change of duty orders issued transferring the enlisted wave from NAS Anacosita to the Potomac River Naval Receiving Station.

About three months later, I stopped at the Potomac River Naval Receiving Station where I checked with the commanding officer, who told me that they had promoted the enlisted wave to Boatswain Mate 2/C and that she was in charge of a group of enlisted waves who operated the laundry service that was servicing any of the Naval Officers and enlisted personnel in the District of Columbia who wanted to use it.

The C.O. stated that the enlisted wave was a good driver in the laundry service group and that they were pleased to have her in the command.

Early in March 1943 we had all divisions in full operation in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory at NAS Anacosita, D.C.

Almost all of the division heads were senior grade Lieutenants U.S. Naval Reserve, most of whom had only a short indoctrination training of about six weeks at one of our nation's colleges which were set up for the training of new officers in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

As we were operating as a Naval military unit on a U.S. Naval Air Station where we were subject to all the U.S. Naval rules and regulations governing the Navy, Capt. Ingersol designated me to be the station officer responsible for getting our Photographic Science Laboratory officers properly inducted into a Naval military unit for administration purposes at the Naval air station, Anacostia, D.C.

The first six to eight weeks I held an officers meeting in the Naval Photographic Science Laboratory every morning at 9am.

During the first two weeks, the meetings lasted from 9am to 12 noon daily except Saturday and Sunday. After a period of two weeks, I starterd reducing the time spent in the meetings so that by the sixth to eighth week we had most of the Naval Reserve officers in P.S.L. pretty well indoctrinated into a fairly good Naval military outfit by which all of our officers became thoroughly familiar with their respective duties and responsibilities.

We established our own plant security system with a 24 hour duty officer on watch and a chief petty officer and enlisted plant guard on patrol of a Naval facility cleared for classified subjects. Therefore, it was necessary for me to issue written orders, instruction, memos, etc. to all division heads and to the laboratory security officer including detailed orders to the laboratory duty officer and his security force.

The laboratory security system was operating very smoothly and with very few problems which were quickly put into their proper places.

After the photographic science laboratory had been in operation for some five to six months, I had an experience with one of our division officers that was somewhat on the serious side and at the same time amusing.

One day I was walking down the second floor corridor, when as I was passing the door to the motion picture film processing division officers office, I noticed a small group of Naval officers and a few enlisted men who were all standing facing LT. Wilson Leahy, who was standing behind his desk with his hat on backwards, holding in his right hand a "billy club" with which he was making a hitting motion at a small pile of red material on the top of his desk.

I was surprised to see an officer with his hat on backwards and gesturing with a "billy club" in front of his junior officers and some of his enlisted personnel.

I opened the door and entered the office at which time LT. Leahy looked up and upon seeing me, dropped the "billy club" and attempted to put his hat on correctly, at the same time attempting to give me a right hand salute while stammering the words "Sir - sir!" I asked LT. Leahy "What is going on in here!" to which LT. Leahy replied in a stuttering speech "Sir, just a little ceremony, sir." By that time I was close to his desk where I observed a small pile of cut up red tape on top of a typewritten sheet of paper lying on LT. Leahy's desk. I reached down and removed the typewritten sheet from under the pile of red tape, recognizing it as the typewritten document which I had signed the day before which went out to all laboratory division officers for compliance.

By that time LT. Leahy was mumbling and still trying to get his hat on straight. I turned facing the two Ensigns and the enlisted men, giving them the order "you are dismissed, return to your respective duty stations."

These people didn't need a second invitation--they departed from LT. Leahy's office in a hurry.

I turned to LT. Leahy and said, "Mr. Leahy, report to my office in ten minutes." I then returned to my office on the first floor of the laboratory where I told my secretary, Ensign Peggy Redpath, that LT. Wilson Leahy would be arriving in a few minutes to see me and that she was to tell him that Mr. Carroll was busy at the moment, he was to wait in the corridor and she would call him when Mr. Carroll could see him.

LT. Leahy arrived as ordered and Ens. Peggy Redpath kept him waiting in the corridor for 1/2 hour when I told her that I would see Mr. Leahy.

During this 1/2 hour period I told Ens. Redpath what had occurred, and while I had Mr. Leahy in my office she was to station herself outside of our office door and was not to admit anyone until I had completed my discussion with Mr. Leahy.

My discussion with Mr. Leahy didn't last more than five minutes, during which time I apprised him of his duties and the military officer code of conduct required of a Naval officer setting forth an example as a leader of men, obedient to all orders irrespective of whether or not he approved of orders received from higher authorities.

You can be sure that LT. Leahy from that day on, did not have any more "red tape -billy club ceremonies" in his office, at least while I was still there with the assigned duties of assistant officer in charge of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

The U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory in 1943 had a number of specialized photographic facilities that no other U.S. Government photographic Laboratory had during World War II.

35mm and 16mm black and white microfilm processing and printing with a capacity of more than one million feet per week.

35mm negative black and white motion picture film processing, 85,000 feet per day using one E. K. Co. "tendency drive" film processing machine.

35mm positive black and white motion picture film processing, 720,000 feet per day using two E. K. Co. "tendency drive" film processing machines.

16mm negative-positive black and white motion picture film processing, 60,000 feet per day using one E. K. Co. "tendency drive" film processing machine.

Complete line of 35mm and 16mm motion picture film printing machines, Bell & Howell, Oscar Depere, Calvin printers of the continuous and optical step types.

Complete motion picture sound studio facilities with a separate sound recording on film and disc record turn table and a five channel sound mixing-recording system.

Complete art and animation facilities using the same type of equipment and principles as then used by the Walt Disney studios in Hollywood.

The U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory did not have 35mm-16mm Kodachrome film processing facilites because the Eastman Kodak Company had ample Kodachrome facilities available for the World War II military requirements.

Full utilization of their processing facilities was assured through having certain Eastman Kodak processing personnel cleared and approved for the handling of military classified films.

Another unique facility was the two equipment test rooms: a tropical airconditioned room capable of attaining 130 to 135 degree fahrenheit temperatures at 80% relative humidity and a cold room where temperatures could be as low as minus 75 degrees below zero fahrenheit.

The graphic arts division had the equipment and personnel able to produce on the Harris Offset Press 300 lines per inch stereo pairs of aerial photographs for photo interpretation purposes, an achievement attained by LT. Richard Gardner, USNR and the Eastman Kodak Company graphic arts division.

A complete aerial photography division equipped with all of the facilites needed for the testing of aerial cameras and the processing and printing of aerial roll film by single print or prints on continuous roll paper.

This aerial photography division in 1944 was assigned to a classified World War II project during which time they worked behind locked doors with security guards in the corridors.

Working 24 hrs per day around the clock without leaving their respective third floor spaces, they produced, under the direct supervision of the U.S. Naval photographic interpretation officer in charge, all of the aerial photographs, stereo pairs and vectographs that were used by General Eisenhower and his allied forces staff in the planning and execution the Normandy Coast invasion.

This project at the time was classified as top secret and all officers and enlisted personnel engaged in the work were cleared for the handling of the materials.

As certain phases of the photo work were coompleted, the package was carried by officer couriers from N.A.S. Anacostia to England via military aircraft.

While this project was in progress in the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory, the only personnel outside of the Naval Photographic Interpretaion and the aerial photography division who had knowledge of the project was the OIC of PSL, CDR. Thorne Donnelley, USNR and the assistant OIC of PSL, LT. George A. Carroll, USN.

After this project had been in our laboratory for about a week, one afternoon at about 2pm I received a phone call from the naval air station main gate. A U.S. Naval intelligence officer was on the phone who without identifying himself by name, gave me his Naval intelligence identification number and told me that he and an FBI agent had a suspected foreign agent under surveillance for the past week and that they had followed the suspect and one of our Naval warrant officers to the Anacostia Naval Air Station. Just prior to his phone call to me, they observed from the main gate the suspected foreign agent with Naval Warrant Officer Pete LeRoy enter the front door of the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory.

The Naval intelligence officer suggested that I call my contact officer in the Navy Department intelligence office to verify that he was truly a Naval officer on Naval intelligence duty and further suggested that I get ahold of Warrant Officer Pete LeRoy and his guest, escort them to the main gate of the Naval air station and drop off the suspected foreign agent who could be immediately taken into custody by the Naval intelligence officer and the FBI agent.

The Naval intelligence officer suggested that I take Warrant Officer LeRoy to the commanding officer where I was to recommend to the C.O. that Warrant Officer LeRoy be placed under restriction to quarters on the base while under investigation for his association with a suspected foreign agent and also I was to immediately investigate whether or not the suspected foreign agent had been permitted access to classified subject matter by Warrant Officer LeRoy.

I immediately phoned chief clerk Daniel in the Navy Department Office of Naval Intelligence on Consitution Ave., in Washington, D.C. who verified that the ONI officer was in fact a duly authorized Naval Intelligence officer.

I made a broadcast on the laboratory public address system for Warrant Officer LeRoy to call my office phone number, which he did. I first asked Mr. LeRoy for the location where he was in the laboratory with his replying that he was in the still photography division office on the second floor, that he had a civilian friend with him and that they had just arrived in the laboratory a few minutes before he heard my broadcast for him to call my office.

I told Warrant Officer LeRoy that I had just received aa call from the commanding officers office and that he and I both were ordered to report to Capt. Ingersol immediately for an important meeting.

I told Mr. LeRoy to bring his guest immediately to the laboratory front entrance where I would meet them. I then ordered our laboratory duty officer to have one of our station wagons with a driver at the front entrance in five minutes.

Warrant Officer LeRoy and his guest and I arrived almost at the same time in the laboratory lobby-duty officer station. Mr. Leroy introduced me to his guest and then we immediately got into the station wagon with my instructing the driver to take us to the Naval air station main gate which was less than 1/2 mile from the U.S. Naval Photographic Science Laboratory. On our way to the main gate I told Mr. LeRoy's guest that we would have to drop him at the air station's main gate as Mr. LeRoy and I had to attend a meeting that had been scheduled by the commanding officer and that he could use the public phone just outside of the air station's main gate to get a taxi back into Washington, D.C.