US Army Air Force photographers circa 1943.

These men photographed bombing missions. My father served for 3 years in England, France and Belgium. He flew 58 missions, including 2 on D-Day photographing and firing a 50 caliber machine gun when he wasn’t taking photographs. The photographers used 4x5 cameras, which use 4 x 5 black-and-white film. They would shoot out of the open bomb bay or other windows on the plane. The planes were not pressurized or heated and therefore they would wear heavy leather sheepskin lined clothing. The US Army Air Force had the highest attrition rate of all the services in World War II. The average crew member survived 12 missions. After 12 you were either dead or injured or a prisoner of war.