World War 1 ( WW1) important photographic Archive collection -
Formerly belonging to : Robert Dykes ARPS RAF 1917-1918 World War 1 Reconnaissance and Battlefield aerial photographer and photographer . Complete with the personal hand book with hand ascribed map plotting details, lettering of negatives , aircraft identification , filters , cameras , aerial cameras , using lantern slides , A collection of WWI aerial photographs and original newspaper photographs etc.

The personal Handbook marked to front :
Robert Dykes ARPS RAF
BEF Belgium and France
1915 Queens Own Cameron Highlanders
1916 Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
1916 Earl of Surrey's Regiment
1917&1918 RoyalFlying Corps
1918 & 1919 Royal Air Force.

3 Official War Maps Of Belgium, France and Flanders, some bearing Dykes's annotations and 5 printed gunnery and trench card diagrams.( see below)

Collection includes two portrait photographs of Robert Dykes as 2nd Lieutentant 8 th Cameron Highlanders ( before becoming an aerial photographer with the Royal Flying Corps )
Also includes :
Portrait of Vice Addmiral Sir FC Doveton Sturdee KCB, CVO, CMG Navy who the commanded the British Squadron which anniliated the German fleet of the Falkland Isles on December 8th , 1914.
Highlighted portrait photograph' German Admiral Scheer '( Comander of the German High Seas Fleet 1863-1928)
Highlighted portrait of ' ...Admiral of the Fleet SIR David Beatty...'
Portrait ' Admiral Cradock ' ( Rear Admiral Sir Christopher ' Kit ' George Francis Maurice Cradock KCVO, CB, SGM 1862-1914)
Highlighted ' HMS GOOD HOPE '
Highlighted ' 2861 Battle ships Hogue 7 th Cruiser Squadron '
' HMS ' Gunner ' Q31 (mystery ship ) Sank two German Submarines during the great war '
' Wake of a torpedo seen from the air '
Highlighted ' 2863 Q.48,188 Convoy of American Troopships and escorts at sea; leading George Washington, America and De Kalb taken from aboard U. S. S. Whipple 18 th May 1918'
' 3086 Depth Charges exploding '
'0116 A Battle Cruiser firing a salvo of 13.5 guns '
' 7574 The Iron Duke leading the Battle Squadron a few days after War declared '
Highlighted '3020 First Photograph of an actual attack by Germans, a remarkable snapshot of the enemy advancing against British Trenches : The Kings ( Liverpool regiment) facing a charge near Ypres'
Highlighted ''1773 Sinking of the Gneisenau ' a photograph taken from the British warship Inflexible after the Falkland Islands Battle, showing the survivors of the crew of the sunken Gneisenau in the water '
Photo of SMS Blucher upturned on her side as sunk at the Battle of Dogger Bank 24 th Jan 1915
German Armoured Cruiser Scharnhorst passing the old Victory
destroyers in action , Smoke screen
' Q. 20. 879 Getman Submarine holding up a liner at sea before sinking '
Highlighted ' German Light Cruiser Emden destroyed by HMAS SYDNEY at the Cocos Islands 9 th November 1914. '
' German Battle Cruiser " SEYDLITZ " on fire '
' A mine washed up at Thopeness...'
' Aeroplane raid. General Post Office 7th July 1917.....'
' Trench on a forward slope '
'Women workers in Chilwell Shell filling factory ' see Imperial War Museum photograph archive collection no. Q 30014
Highlighted ' 1411 The crippled " Retvisn " in Port Harbour
' German Assault '
Highlighted ' 8 th Seaforths ( Highlanders ) holding a front line trench facing Martinpuich , 25 Aug 1916 '
Highlighted ' Loos laid Low ' (The Battle of Loos was the largest British offensive mounted in 1915 on the Western Front during World War I. )
' Loos 1915 . Uncut wire in front of German Trench '
' Loos - German Trench '
' General view of the Carnet du Nord near Moeuvres , 28th November 1917 '

Air Ministry Photograph ' Zepp ( Zeppelin ) brought down in England' ( LZ 76 ( L 33) brought down 24 Sept 1916 )
' 1728 Daylight Raid of London '
'5213 Restaurant of Grand Hotel, Scarborough, wrecked by German shells, 1915 '
' 3021 Mined German Trench ' ' copied from Manchester Guardian '
' Q.3155 IWM Photo R. M. A. Tractor hauling the barrel of a 7.5-inch gun to the forward area July 1917. Western Front. Place unknown but probably being taken up inpreparation for the Battle of Flanders in 1917 '
' Q.31,433 Types of steel helmets worn in the Great War. Back Row from left to right : 1 . Portugese 1917 pattern . 2. American. 3. British. 4. Belgian 1917 pattern. 5. French 1916 " Adrian " pattern with visor designed by Major Doctor Polak. 6. French 1916 pattern designed by General Adrian after an original model Edouard Detaille.
Front row from left to right 1. German with reinforcing piece from Verdun Front 2. Sniper's mask from Western Front. 3. Austrian.'
' 7575 Tank in action : Wailly ( France) 21 st. Oct., 1917 '
'9349 Handley Page 1918 bomber '
'15554 ....Mansion Deptford purchased by the War Office ....'

London news agency photos, Imperial War Museum , Air Ministry , Royal Air Force , Flight
All bearing instructions for printing etc.

Belgium and part of France with trenches 11/5/1918 Gunnery map
Army Area Map no. 9 ( 4/6/18 ) hand annotated with sectors , fronts , etc stamped ' Secret '
' Attackers Front line ' map
'6786 ' trench printed map x 3
Royal Navy printed ship's log map
Plan of La Ville De Charleroi ( street map )

Aerial maps
' No. 53 Sqdn R. A. F. Bus shot down behind German lines 8.10.18 1pm N. Of Bousbecque '
' Wervicq '
' S. W. Of Wervicq 3.10.18 German Red Cross
' Green Crassier 36 N. 20. d 10.8.17 R Dykes' ( near Lens just before Battle of Aloof Trench )
' Albert 1918 R. Dykes '
16/8/18
' Menin Dump Going up Oct 1918 ' ( near Ypres )
' PSG 1092 27-7-17 Richmond Surrey '
Aeroplane Photographs taken by no. 53 squadron ; 8-10-18
Bailleul 2-7-18
Comines 3-10-18
' Cassel 30-6-18 '
' Bailleul 1918 '
' Bailleul1918 r Dykes 7 RPS ( Rockwood) '
' North of Bailleul note shelling 11-8-18 . 4 pm '
Bailleul before shelling ....'
' N. W. Of Dranoutre , Monmouthshire Camp 25-8-18 . 4 pm'
' Note barb-wire entanglements behind German Front Line. Due south of Bousbecque near Wervieq 3-10-18 13.00 '
' Field of Waterloo Bruxelles R Dykes'
' N. E. of Bailleul Asylum Haegedoorne 25-8-18. 4 pm'
' S Missmis Ridge 16-5-18. 4 '
' Coucou Aerodrome Menin 3-10-18 14.15 '
' Coucou aerodrome Menin '
' St. Omer France '
' Aerodrome La Niche between Cassel & St. Omer France '
' Abeele back of Poperhinge ( Poperinge ) off Ypres Poperhinge & Cassel Road '
Cut out detailed aerial photographs
' Mount Kemmel ', ' Menin Dump 11.30 ', ' Bailleul ', ' La Polka ' , ' Appetit Farm ' Bailleul The Square ', ' Warneton', ' Stenwerck', 'Rattekot','Passendaele ' , ' Missmis Ridge ',' Celles', Wervicq' , ' ... Smoke frome burning Houses ', 'Steenwerk', ' Dranoutre',' Comines ', ' Nieppe ', ' St. Jans Capel ',' Neuve Eglise ',' Lille ',' Loire ',' Deulmont ',' Mount Kemmel ' , etc. ( approximately 178)

A WWI German typewritten sheet of Fort-Ordnung taken ' From door in fort at Seclin near Lille November 20th 1918 '
Etc.

R. Dykes Brief Service History:
1914-1915: British Expeditionary Force , Belgian and France , 2nd Lieutenant Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders.

1916: Earl of Surrey's Regiment & Loyal North Lancashire Regiment

1916 ( 15 th May )-1918
53 Squadron Royal Flying Corps Observer / Photographer and by December 1916 was in Corps Reconnaisance role at St. Omer , flying in BE 2E aircraft until April 1917 , Then RE 8s until end of war. Was active over Bailleul , Menin , Cassel , Wericq , etc.
Was connected to the RFC School of Photography Training Brigade under Captain Scott at Farnborough and in Jan 1918 was attached to RFC 3 Aux. School of Aerial Gunnery at New Romney, Kent where he compiled an Aerial Photography training Manual.

1919 ( October ) : Unit disbanded

Provenance : The Robert Dykes Archive , acquired directly from widows ( Isabel ) estate.

Please Note - we do not make reference to the condition of lots within catalogue descriptions. We are however happy to provide additional information regarding the condition of items on request.
£1000 - 2000