The Era

(Background on the state of photography, travel, communications, etc., in advance of the war.)

The War

The surrender of France to the Nazis in 1940, and the evacuation of British forces at Dunkirk, left the Third Reich in control of Western Europe.

In 1942 Adolph Hitler issued a directive calling for the creation of the "Atlantic Wall," a range of fortifications stretching from above the Arctic Circle in Norway south to the border of neutral Spain and intended to defend against the seaborne invasion of the Continent by the Allies.

With the entry of America into the War, the Allied forces, massing on "aircraft carrier" Great Britain, prepared to return to Western Europe through just such an invasion, in Operation Overlord.

World War II Reconnaisance

(Various aspect of reconnaisance and intelligence directed at the potential invasion theater.)

The Call

(The BBC's broadcast of the Admiralty's appeal...)

The Response

(...and its results.)

Extracting Intelligence

(How actionable intelligence would have been extracted from the materials received.)

A New Era

(How things have changed: cell phones, cameras, connectivity, tools, etc.)