Carlisle MP, Julie Minns, led a debate in Parliament championing long-overdue recognition for the extraordinary work of the Royal Air Force Photographic Reconnaissance Unit during the Second World War.

The Royal Air Force Photographic Reconnaissance Unit including four men who served in the unit from Carlisle and North Cumbria.

The debate highlighted the remarkable and largely untold story of the ‘spies in the skies.’

These pilots flew into warzones armed with nothing but a camera to bring back some 80 percent of the intelligence that was used to plan operations and tactics during the War.

Their work shortened the war and saved countless lives, yet until recently, their story remained in the shadows.

Formed in 1939, the RAF Photographic Reconnaissance Unit drew pilots from 23 nations and operated from just a handful of secret bases.

Every major Allied operation, from the D-Day landings to the liberation of Europe, relied on the aerial photography these young men captured under immense danger.

Planes were stripped of armour, weapons, and even radios to maximise range, leaving crews vulnerable.

Tragically, 45 percent of pilots did not survive, and the fate of 300 remains unknown to this day.

In her speech, Julie Minns drew attention to four men from her Carlisle and North Cumbria constituency who served in the unit:

• Flight Lieutenant Rae Armstrong (survived)

• Flying Officer Ivan Cooke (killed)

• Flying Officer William Johnston (killed)

• Flight Sergeant Charles Ross (missing in action)

“Of the four pilots who hailed from my constituency, just one made it home,” Minns said. “Their sacrifice must never be forgotten.”

The debate also shed light on the critical work of photographic interpreters, a third of whom were women, who analysed over 26 million images that these pilots brought back.

Their analysis, often carried out in secrecy in requisitioned homes, fed directly into top-level military strategy, with intelligence often reaching the Cabinet War Rooms within 24 hours of a sortie.

Among these interpreters were Constance Babington-Smith, credited with uncovering the secret V1 weapons programme; actor Dirk Bogarde; and Sarah Churchill, daughter of the then-Prime Minister.

“This story brings to light not only the heroism of the pilots but also the brilliance and dedication of the men and women behind the scenes,” Julie Minns added.

“It’s a story of courage, innovation, and quiet sacrifice.”

The Carlisle MP also welcomed news that a long-awaited monument, championed by the Spitfire AA810 Project, is now entering formal planning stages.

The memorial will be located near the Cabinet War Rooms, the very place where so much of the Unit’s intelligence first arrived.

“I’m delighted that a monument to their service and sacrifice has begun the formal planning process after support from the MOD and Royal Parks,” said Minns.

“Their anonymity may have lasted decades, but their legacy will now be cemented in the heart of our national story.”

Julie Minns also welcomed the Minister for Veterans and People, Al Carn’s, committing to meet with the campaign to help further identify those missing in action who served in the unit.

The Spitfire AA810 Project has spent over six years meticulously piecing together records to finally bring this forgotten chapter of the war into the light.