EPW000060A ENGLAND (1920). Kingsnorth oil refinery, Kingsnorth, 1920

Hi Tina,



The reference for this image is recorded in the Aerofilms Ltd Rgister for 1920. That's where the date currently comes from. A number of people have spotted things in the image that suggest it is actually later in date. Maybe Aerofilms Ltd re-used an old reference number for this image? We've seen that happen at least once before with some pictures of a factory at Leamington Spa, so there is a precedent. If, with your help, we can nail the date to a better year or year range, we can ammend the record. What would you say is the earliest and latest that the image could have been taken?



Yours, Katy



Britain from Above

Cataloguing Team Leader

I would put this photo' much later than 1930 as suggested. It appears to me that it was taken moments before 'Image reference EAW000059' on flight AFL3692, which dates this as 31st March 1946 instead of the attributed date of February 1920.

Hi Kentishman

I've compared the two photos and I agree that they were taken at the same date. I've checked the positions of wagons in the sidings and a lorry and they are identical vehicles in the same positions in both photos. I can't find any inconsistencies. Therefore I agree your 1946 date.

Thanks Class 31, I was using the haystacks as noted by Whittocks and the dark area of spoil to the right of the upper hangar base as my main references.

Dear 242_Cat,



That’s great; we’ve reviewed your suggestion and thanks to your help we can update the catalogue. The revised record will appear here in due course. Hope you have the same success solving some of our other mysteries!



Katy Whitaker

Britain from Above Cataloguer

Are the scanned images transparencies? Because, unless I'm reading it wrongly, this "UNLOCATED" image has been scanned in wrong-side-up. I noticed that this image and epw000062 that shows the same site appear to be mirrored. Here, from the 'messy' area at the bottom, go 'up', and then about 90° *right* to get to the the oil-tank farm. But on epw000062 for the same path one has to turn *left*… Or am I just confused??

Can you tell me wherethis image came from please. I can't find it anywhere else on the internet at the moment but I'm sure I have seen it somewhere before.

I think Alan's right - from the shape of the railway, I would say that EPW000062 has been reversed, and that this view is correct.