A map of King's Lynn as a bombing target for the U.S. Air Force

ORDNANCE SURVEY.

Training Target No. S. 2047 / Perspective (Jan 1943) King's Lynn (England)
Ordnance Survey, 1943. Colour heliolithographic map. Sheet 790 x 800mm.

A few small tears repaired; ink stamps of the MOD on front, and British Library on reverse.

A rare 'Target Perspective' aviation chart, a circular map of King's Lynn surrounded by perspective sketches of the approaches to the town as seen from seven and fifteen miles away on six different bearings.
The map was published by the Ordnance Survey for the Bomber Command of the 8th American Air Force, stationed in England during the Second World War. Despite being a training target, the map is identical in style to the maps of genuine targets in Germany and France.
These maps were introduced in late 1942 after a consultation with the airmen who would be using them. Each map has the text: ''Important: It will be the responsibility of Intelligence personnel to mark the target in red (on center map and all perspective views) just prior to briefing. This sheet should be taken in air as an aid to navigators and bombardiers in locating target''.
Provenance: This map was originally part of a large collection held at a MOD map depot in south-west London. The depot closed in the early 2000s, at which time maps that were deemed to be surplus to requirements were disposed of. Among them were a small number that were previously held in the British Library, which are believed to have been duplicates transferred to the depot before it closed.


Stock ID : 23397