HIRAN / SHORAN Index

Allan Walcker sent in this article, but could not recall where it was published. He has this to say about it:

In 1944 General LaMay wanted Photos of before and after bomb runs in Germany. That was the start of survey work.

[WebMaster Note: See the NOAA History Article for more details on origins of airborne geodetic survey and the 7th Geodetic Control Squadron]

In 1949, I joined the 7th Geodetic Squadron at Mountain Home, Idaho. The Squadron had moved to Topeka, KS. it was later that year it become known as the 338th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing. The Squadron move to Barksdale AFB, LA and then to Ramey AFB, Puerto Rico.

I was stationed in Alaska from May to August of 1950, 1951 and 1952. During that time about 25000 miles of photos were taken. Each Photo has an 80% overlap. The photos were one out of each side of plane plus the one looking straight down.

In 1952, the Navy started to use this equipment to do survey of the ocean bottom from Florida all the way to South America. At this time, I was shown Navy Maps of the Caribbean that were made by the British and they were dated 1787. I, also, heard that some of the maps of Southern Asia were dated about that time in use by Navy during WWII.

In 1954, the Squadron was renamed the 1371st Photo Mapping Squadron, West Palm Beach, FL.

I left the outfit in June 1955.

View the article here.