I don't know about you, but when I think of getting a unit history, one for a Photo Reconnaissance Squadron just doesn't pop into my head. When I was going through the latest flyer from Edward R Hamilton, this one got my attention. "Hmmm", I thought "I like books with lots of photos, and the history of a photo recce unit should be full of them. It might even be a good read."

It is.

This book is basically the war diary of the 8th Photo Recon Squadron from its inception until late 1943 when it was no longer an autonomous squadron and became part of the 6th Photo Recon Group. It is fascinating reading. The diary was kept by the Photo Intelligence Officer and though this job changed hands a few times, the overall readability of it was not altered. 

In it are stories of missions, pilots and aircraft as well as a general feel for the conditions that these men lived in while based in lovely Port Moresby and surrounding areas in the early days of the war.

The book goes on to give a summary about the unit after it was part of the 6th PRG, but what makes this book really special are the photos. There are lots of them. Photos of planes, photos of pilots, photos of the base, photos of enemy bases, photos of  visiting dignitaries... well, you get the idea. On top of that, there are a number of pages of color photos, most of them taken when the unit had moved to the Philippines in late 1944, early 1945.

I seem to fixate on the photos and well I should. It is what makes this book so special. 184 pages of pictures of the war in the southwest Pacific. What is even nicer is that I have seen almost none of them before!!

Are there any glitches. Yes, there are. Some photos are printed twice and others are missing (makes sense). This is a not uncommon complaint of Schiffer. I have friends who have had books published by Schiffer and they also complain about the errors that creep into their books. I guess this is one of the problems of having books printed overseas (in this case China). Schiffer seems more concerned with getting the book out than it does about having no errors.

Regardless of my feelings about Schiffer quality control, this is a superb book. If you have any interest in the air war in this part of the world, then you should get this book. I highly recommend it!

Just as a side note. The 8 PRS lasted after the war. They were the only squadron to fly the F-15 Reporter, a photo recon version of the P-61 Black Widow. Wings/Airpower and Aircraft Enthusiast  both ran great articles on this aircraft and its use by the 8th.

Review copy courtesy of me and my wallet! 

If you would like your product reviewed fairly and quickly by a site that has over 900 visits a day, please contact me or see other details in the Note to Contributors.