To mark the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day (VE day) we are remembering all the people who helped bring about the end of World War Two. Here at Bradford District Museums & Galleries Photo Archive we are celebrating the stories of two Bradfordian war veterans; their successes and their contributions to the war effort. This blog was written by Olivia Johnston, our Photo archive assistant.

CHARLES HAROLD WOOD – C. H. Wood Collection

Within our collections there are several photographs taken in Bradford during WWII, depicting the aftermath of air raids on the city centre, as well as some aerial photographs taken between 1939-1945. Our largest photography collection is by Charles Harold Wood, who shifted from industrial and aerial photography to working in the Royal Air Force during the war.

Bomb damage on Lingard’s property and Westgate following air-raid on Saturday 31st August 1940.
Bomb damage on Lingard’s property and Westgate following air-raid on Saturday 31st August 1940.

C. H. Wood left his trusted associate in charge of his photography business during the war years, writing to a client:

“In the very near future I shall be taking a commission in the Royal Air Force, to devote the whole of my time to the work referred to…Mr Baron will for the time being continue to conduct this business for me.”

C. H. Wood in RAF uniform, possibly wearing the coloured filter goggles he developed to train the famous ‘Dambuster’ pilots in night flying.

A key example of the value of Wood’s invention is in the famous moonlight ‘Dambusters’ raid on the Mohne and Eder dams. Lancaster crews underwent an intensive six-week course, flying all day under realistic ‘moonlight’ conditions. Without the filter goggles there was no way so much could have been achieved in such a short period.

In 1946 C. H. Wood was awarded the M.B.E. for his work with the R.A.F. His work continued to have an impact for decades; a variation of the filters used in goggles was standard practice across the aviation industry to teach instrument-only flying until digital simulators were introduced.

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER ROBERT TURNER D.S.C. R.N.V.R – Belle Vue Collection

Another figure in our archive is Lieutenant Commander Robert Turner D.S.C. R.N.V.R.. He visited the popular Belle Vue Studio on Manningham Lane and was photographed wearing his war uniform complete with medals of distinction. In 2023 Turner’s son, grandson and great-grandsons visited Bradford Industrial Museum to view his portrait.

Photographic portrait from Manningham Lane’s Belle Vue Studio of Lieutenant Commander Robert Turner D.S.C. R.N.V.R.

Lt. Commander Turner was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in June 1943, and the Atlantic Star by the navy. His family weren’t clear the exact reasons why, but Turner’s mother had suggested it was for secret work. It is known that he made several trips to Dunkirk to pick up allied soldiers, this could be the reason for the D.S.C.

Following the war in 1947 the Ministry of Defence naval division offered Turner a permanent post commission. He remained associated with the navy until 1962, in case they needed to call upon his expertise again. You can read more about the family’s visit to the photo archive here

Bradford District Museums & Galleries Photo Archive

These photographs are some of the more-than 500,000 negatives, prints and digital photographs held within our photo archive. The archive covers a vast range of topics relating to Bradford and the district, from the turn of the century to modern day.

Visit photos.bradfordmuseums.org to browse our collections, including C. H. Wood’s and Belle Vue Studio, and to purchase photo prints and downloads!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News and Blogs from Bradford District Museums & Galleries

an insight into the behind the scenes work around the new display
written for us by Arlo, who was involved with the selection and creation of the 'I AM ME' exhibition
Our newest blog has been written by one of the participants involved in 'Fighting to be heard' at Cartwright Hall Art Gallery
We're taking a look at contemporary artworks by women artists in the Bradford District Museums and Galleries collection.

Related News and Blogs from Bradford District Museums & Galleries

Heather's been meaning to write up the story behind the painting of Pauline Viardot at Cliffe Castle for some time....
It is always an exciting time in the museum when we install a new exhibition. We recently opened a new exhibition at Bradford Industrial Museum called Steampunk (for those unsure as to what Steampunk is, I refer you to an earlier blog post.) Nearly 300 people attended the opening and it was thrilling to see visitors not only excited by the weird and wonderful Steampunk exhibits, but also by the pieces from our permanent collection alongside.
Don’t adjust your screens – this particular embroidery is multicoloured although we describe it as Blackwork. It is called Blackwork because traditionally a black thread was used to sew these designs. It is a type of counted embroidery sewn on even weave material such as linen. It uses simple stitches to form complex patterns.
Alice Humphrey is one of our Assistant Curators, who agreed to write a blog for us based on a set of items that caught her eye! She writes: I started working at Bradford Museums and Gallery at the end of last year and was delighted to find that they have a collection of Japanese woodblock prints (ukiyo-e), since I have a particular interest in Japanese costume.
Skip to content