VE Day: Footage shows secret wartime filmmaking at famous Pinewood Studios in Bucks during Second World War

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, national heritage body, Historic England, has released new footage from Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire taken from the war.

The photos also explore the pioneering role of women in the military, Historic England has revealed. The collection was put together by Dorothy ‘Knicky’ Chapman, who was part of the first intake of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) at the No. 2 School of Photography in Blackpool

before being posted to the famous Pinewood Studios, the central hub of military filmmaking.

In total, the organisation has released over 150 photographs capturing the perspective of a woman wartime photographer, featuring behind-the-scenes shots from Chapman’s posting at Pinewood Studios and previously unseen images of her WAAF training.

Historic England has revealed that Film and Photography units for the RAF and the army were based at Pinewood Studios in Iver during the war.

Films made by the famous company were used to shape public perception and increase support for the Allied Forces.

Historic England adds that vital time-critical newsreels and coverage of key events in the war were created, including the D-Day landings, at the Bucks site.

Knicky (pronounced Nicky) Chapman was posted to the RAFFPU at Pinewood Studios, where she assisted in the production of military films, such as ‘The Big Pack’ and ‘Operational Height’. Chapman was one of the select few to work on the Stills department, and the collection features stills from a number of the RAF’s film sets and productions. She also worked alongside notable talents who would later shape the British film industry, including a young Richard Attenborough.

The WAAF was founded in 1939 to fill non-combat roles in the RAF with women. Chapman volunteered to join the WAAF before conscription was introduced. She was part of the first intake of women, 26 in total, to be trained at the No. 2 School of Photography (now the Defence School of Photography at RAF Cosford) in 1941.

A spokesperson for Historic England said: “Little is known about the lives of the women of the RAF Film Production Unit following the end of the war. While Chapman continued her passion for photography after the war, the demobilisation of the WAAF marked the end of these women’s lives in film.”

The body is inviting people to share the stories of women who served in the Second World War via email.

Duncan Wilson, chief executive, Historic England, said: “As we mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, this remarkable collection commemorates the unsung heroes of the Second World War and sheds light on the history of wartime filmmaking. The photographs provide rare insight into a lesser-known aspect of our wartime heritage, from the crucial role of Pinewood Studios as the centre of military filmmaking to the pioneering women of the WAAF. By sharing this collection, we hope to honour the contributions of these women photographers and filmmakers to the war effort, preserving their stories as an important part of our national heritage.”