Book illustrates the experience of a Canadian visual artist
in the Second World War.
by Roger Klein // photography by Roger Klein
World War II Through an Unseen Lens is a new book by Collingwood author Christine E. Cowley and artist and researcher Jane Fleetwood-Morrow. It chronicles the life and service of a young Canadian artist who utilized his professional talents while serving as a RCAF reconnaissance photographer in Europe.
The pages include sketches, paintings and photography by Corporal John Fleetwood-Morrow, 414 squadron, 39 Reconnaissance Wing, Royal Canadian Air Force. The images reveal the details of the photographic equipment and processes used by the Allies for aerial reconnaissance during the Second World War.
Equipped with cameras instead of machine guns, Canadian pilots flew British Spitfires and American P-51 Mustangs over the battlefields of Europe to gather vital intelligence about enemy movements and preparedness. Photographers like Fleetwood-Morrow managed the cameras and the processing of thousands of images in the field. The prints were immediately dispatched to military decision-makers.
“Our three Canadian squadrons were the operational arm of 39 Recce Wing. Once the invasion started, that wing was designated to work with the British army as its reconnaissance and photographic eyes,” says Major General Lieutenant Richard Rohmer, who was a P-51 pilot himself in 1943.
Morrow’s paintings and sketches of the time provide a visual diary that captures the day-to-day experiences of servicemen as well as key moments in the lead-up to D-Day and the Allies’ trek across France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The historical story is interwoven with a modern perspective as Jane Fleetwood-Morrow (John’s daughter) retraces her father’s footsteps to track down the locations he painted.
Fleetwood-Morrow’s wartime artwork is also the subject of a documentary film that adds animation to his sketches.
After the war, Fleetwood-Morrow continued his career as a professional photographer in Toronto. He died on November 29, 1997. His family plans to donate much of his original artwork to the Canadian War Museum. To obtain a copy of the book, which is not available in stores, visit janefleetwoodmorrow.com.
