71:
28:
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52:
78:
546:(United Kingdom), (JARIC (UK)). The personnel of APIU (UK) were absorbed into the establishment of the joint service unit and the Army has continued to provide a number of PIs and supporting staffs in the JARIC establishment. JARIC moved in 1957 from its base at
399:, without any guns but with a maximum speed of 396 mph at 30,000 feet, were used for photo-reconnaissance missions. The aircraft were fitted with five cameras which were heated to ensure good results (while the cockpit was not). Another key aircraft was the
326:
During 1942 and 1943, the CIU gradually expanded and was involved in the planning stages of practically every operation of the war, and in every aspect of intelligence. In 1945, daily intake of material averaged 25,000 negatives and 60,000 prints. By
403:
which had a cruising speed of 255 mph, maximum of 362 mph and a maximum altitude of 35,000 ft. Thirty-six million prints were made during the war, of which some 10 million, many in
440:
Of particular significance in the success of the work of
Medmenham was the use of stereoscopic images, using a between plate overlap of exactly 60%. Having overcome the initial scepticism of
381:
and in the ports. They were also tasked with checking PI reports which were eventually related to assessment reports of attacks on German industry. Several PIs were also seconded to
444:
to the possibility of the new rocket technology, major operations made possible by the work at
Medmanham included, on 17 and 18 August 1943, an offensive against the
334:
American personnel had for some time formed an increasing part of the CIU and on 1 May 1944 this was finally recognised by changing the title of the unit to the
673:(RIU) and became responsible for the introduction into service of all airborne and ground radio systems. The unit had a complement of ten officers dealing with
536:
282:
1139:
1149:
796:
1154:
615:
543:
500:
With the cessation of hostilities in Europe in May 1945 some sections closed almost immediately, whilst others worked on tasks for the
441:
423:
was employed in the Army reconnaissance section as a visual inspector. Two renowned archaeologists also worked there as interpreters:
70:
729:
724:
639:
623:
484:
jet fighter, the scorched grass caused by the rocket and jet engines of both aircraft being visible in aerial photographs taken over
331:, the print library, which documented and stored worldwide cover, held 5,000,000 prints from which 40,000 reports had been produced.
554:. In 2012 JARIC was renamed Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre (DGIFC) and moved to the other side of Huntingdon to
293:
In April 1941, an RAF photographic interpretation unit (PIU) moved to
Danesfield House, Medmenham, as its previous location at
603:– "To conquer the upper air") was formed at Medmenham by raising No. 90 Group RAF to Command status under Air Vice Marshal
152:
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1102:
512:
1080:
959:
915:
854:
829:
758:
104:
278:
215:
1061:
659:
433:
573:
are now trained has been named the 'Medmenham
Training Wing' in honour of the unit's heritage with Medmenham.
535:, (APIU (UK)) and, although it continued to operate within JAPIC (UK), had special responsibilities to the
489:
485:
887:
619:
412:
299:
1091:
Operation
Crossbow: The Untold Story of Photographic Intelligence and the Search For Hitler's V Weapons
674:
477:
338:(ACIU). There were then over 1,700 personnel on the unit's strength. The title of the unit reverted to
607:. It was a relatively short-lived Command, lasting only until 1 January 1969, when it was absorbed by
646:, to provide a direct link between the designers of electronic equipment in the laboratories and the
473:
277:, RAF Medmenham was the main interpretation centre for photographic reconnaissance operations in the
773:
1025:
1003:"Allied Central Interpretation Unit (ACIU) | NCAP - National Collection of Aerial Photography"
793:
584:, its current location. It was during its stay at Medmenham that the unit's crest was conceived; a
476:. Babington Smith was also responsible for the Allies' confirmation of the existence of the German
643:
611:
and reduced to Group status. It had five Air
Officers Commanding in Chief during its existence.
1124:
504:
in
Germany. The several Army sections of CIU were incorporated in September 1946 to become the
370:
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814:
714:
501:
400:
266:
1017:
951:
944:
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481:
396:
350:
8:
1018:
596:
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27:
592:), representing the unit's watch over the integrity and security of RAF communications.
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56:
1054:
Evidence in Camera: The Story of
Photographic Intelligence in the Second World War
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800:
690:
686:
682:
361:
Early in 1945, a number of photographic interpreters (PIs) were sent to join the
258:
246:
162:
41:
527:(JPRC). In August 1947, the unit's name was changed yet again, this time to the
698:
566:
424:
416:
378:
319:, was integrated with CIU in February 1942 and the base was assigned the motto
431:, who went on to gain popular acclaim as the host of the television game show
1133:
988:
681:
navigation, weapon aiming and airborne interception for aircraft such as the
678:
539:. The Officer Commanding APIU (UK) was also deputy commandant of JAPIC (UK).
316:
119:
106:
872:
449:
1094:
654:") and serving officers and worked predominantly in the fields of airborne
551:
420:
390:
382:
274:
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users in the field. The organisation was staffed by civilian scientists ("
345:
428:
404:
51:
702:
585:
411:. A large number of photographic interpreters were recruited from the
369:
to explore the degree of damage and production interruption caused by
581:
555:
408:
254:
37:
669:(RIB), was formed at RAF Medmenham. In 1952, the RIB was renamed as
452:. Later offensives were also made against potential launch sites at
469:
460:. It is claimed that Medmanham's greatest operational success was "
453:
219:
1114:
577:
294:
262:
1020:
Military communications: from ancient times to the 21st century
930:
651:
589:
457:
328:
511:
The CIU was placed under the control of the newly established
468:
infrastructure in
Northern France. One of the key PI's in the
665:
In 1946, PDS was disbanded and a successor organisation, the
655:
366:
480:
rocket plane as well as evidence of the test flights of the
1002:
975:
Smith, Maurice, ed. (13 November 1959). "Signals
Command".
950:(1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.
820:(1 ed.). London: Routledge & Kegan Paul. p.
634:
During the Second World War, an organisation known as the
576:
In 1952, 591 Signals Unit moved to RAF Medmenham from RAF
531:(JAPIC (UK)). In October 1947, APIC (UK) was renamed the
445:
1119:
753:. Little Brown Hardbacks (A & C). pp. 80–81.
542:
In December 1953, the unit was given the title of the
307:
was absorbed, and amalgamation was completed when the
1047:. Bethesda, MD: Geographic Information Foundation.
943:
849:. Little Brown Hardbacks (A & C). p. 42.
813:
873:"Operation Crossbow", BBC2, broadcast 15 May 2011
427:, the first woman to hold an Oxbridge Chair, and
342:when the Americans returned home in August 1945.
1131:
629:
1051:
529:Joint Air Photographic Intelligence Centre (UK)
907:Aviator Extraordinary: The Sidney Cotton Story
903:
464:" which, from 23 December 1943, destroyed the
1120:The National Collection of Aerial Photography
437:. Up to 150 women were also employed as PIs.
236:Peter Stewart, Francis Cator, Douglas Kendall
616:Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre
544:Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre
506:Army Photographic Interpretation Centre (UK)
1140:Royal Air Force stations in Buckinghamshire
563:Joint School of Photographic Interpretation
525:Joint Photographic Reconnaissance Committee
16:Former RAF base in Buckinghamshire, England
1150:Military installations established in 1941
868:
866:
533:Army Photographic Interpretation Unit (UK)
794:Allied Central Interpretation Unit (ACIU)
730:Telecommunications Research Establishment
725:National Collection of Aerial Photography
640:Telecommunications Research Establishment
624:National Collection of Aerial Photography
309:Night Photographic Interpretation Section
1015:
983:(2657). London: Iliffe & Sons: 559.
899:
897:
789:
787:
785:
783:
781:
495:
344:
305:Bomber Command Damage Assessment Section
297:was short of space, and was renamed the
1070:
863:
844:
748:
580:and stayed until 1955 when it moved to
1132:
1075:. Little Brown Hardbacks (A & C).
1042:
767:
456:and 96 other launch sites in Northern
407:, still survive and are today kept in
1155:Military installations closed in 1977
974:
894:
882:
880:
778:
313:No 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
77:
941:
910:. Chatto & Windus. p. 169.
811:
1052:Babington Smith, Constance (1957).
288:
59:, the wartime home of RAF Medmenham
13:
1036:
877:
622:collections have been held by the
620:Allied Central Interpretation Unit
513:Central Photographic Establishment
389:, to join a detachment of RAF and
336:Allied Central Interpretation Unit
269:, and it was once the home of the
265:. Activities there specialised in
172:Allied Central Interpretation Unit
14:
1166:
1125:RAF Medmenham circa 1974 Air view
1108:
1016:Sterling, Christopher H. (2008).
537:Director of Military Intelligence
519:which had replaced the disbanded
774:Unlocking Buckinghamshire's Past
363:British Bombing Research Mission
216:European theatre of World War II
76:
69:
50:
26:
1009:
995:
968:
935:
924:
838:
805:
742:
660:ground-controlled interception
1:
888:"Photography Before Edgerton"
735:
630:RAF Radio Introduction Branch
434:Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?
488:– "The German equivalent of
448:rocket development plant at
349:Photographic reconnaissance
90:Shown within Buckinghamshire
7:
1043:Abrams, Leonard N. (1991).
708:
614:Since the early 2000s, the
340:Central Interpretation Unit
303:(CIU). Later that year the
300:Central Interpretation Unit
10:
1171:
1145:History of Buckinghamshire
569:– where PIs for all three
677:, airborne tail warning,
667:Radio Introduction Branch
588:watching over the river (
474:Constance Babington Smith
267:photographic intelligence
230:
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176:
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35:
23:
1115:The Medmenham Collection
1089:Williams, Allan (2013).
1071:Downing, Taylor (2011).
845:Downing, Taylor (2011).
749:Downing, Taylor (2011).
638:(PDS) was formed at the
946:A dictionary of mottoes
904:Cotton, Sidney (1969).
816:A dictionary of mottoes
671:Radio Introduction Unit
644:Malvern, Worcestershire
271:RAF Intelligence Branch
139:Royal Air Force station
675:airfield approach aids
413:Hollywood Film Studios
358:
1045:Our secret little war
799:12 March 2013 at the
715:Aerial reconnaissance
496:Post-Second World War
472:detection period was
397:Supermarine Spitfires
348:
1024:. ABC-CLIO. p.
977:Flight International
720:Imagery intelligence
701:. The unit moved to
636:Post Design Services
605:Leslie Dalton-Morris
595:On 3 November 1958,
482:Messerschmitt Me 262
226:Garrison information
120:51.55278°N 0.82361°W
942:Pine, L.G. (1983).
812:Pine, L.G. (1983).
597:RAF Signals Command
517:RAF Coastal Command
153:Ministry of Defence
116: /
695:de Havilland Venom
550:, near Oxford, to
502:Control Commission
462:Operation Crossbow
359:
169:Controlled by
125:51.55278; -0.82361
931:Alumni group site
521:No. 106 Group RAF
351:Spitfire PR Mk XI
321:Serve and Support
249:station based at
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751:Spies in the Sky
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601:Aetherem Vincere
571:British services
548:RAF Nuneham Park
387:Washington, D.C.
355:invasion stripes
289:Second World War
275:Second World War
251:Danesfield House
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478:Me 163 Komet
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421:Dirk Bogarde
395:
391:British Army
383:the Pentagon
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335:
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325:
320:
312:
308:
304:
298:
292:
245:is a former
242:
241:
212:Battles/wars
177:Site history
18:
490:Farnborough
429:Glyn Daniel
197:In use
123: /
99:Coordinates
1134:Categories
1063:0750936487
1056:. Sutton.
736:References
703:RAF Benson
586:kingfisher
565:(JSPI) at
450:Peenemünde
415:including
393:officers.
375:Resistance
285:theatres.
233:commanders
108:51°33′10″N
989:0015-3710
705:in 1977.
582:RAF Digby
558:in 2013.
556:RAF Wyton
409:Edinburgh
255:Medmenham
200:1941-1977
111:0°49′25″W
38:Medmenham
797:Archived
709:See also
599:(motto:
523:and the
470:V-weapon
454:Wizernes
401:Mosquito
279:European
220:Cold War
159:Operator
679:Doppler
662:(GCI).
652:boffins
648:service
642:(TRE),
578:Wythall
486:Rechlin
295:Wembley
263:England
202: (
187: (
1101:
1079:
1060:
987:
958:
914:
853:
828:
757:
590:Thames
458:France
371:Allied
329:VE-day
656:radar
367:Paris
257:, in
253:near
182:Built
149:Owner
1099:ISBN
1077:ISBN
1058:ISBN
985:ISSN
956:ISBN
912:ISBN
851:ISBN
826:ISBN
755:ISBN
697:and
658:and
618:and
561:The
281:and
231:Past
204:1977
189:1941
185:1941
136:Type
1026:471
822:211
515:of
492:".
466:V-1
446:V-2
405:3-D
385:in
365:in
311:of
1136::
1097:.
1093:.
981:75
979:.
954:.
896:^
879:^
865:^
824:.
780:^
693:,
689:,
685:,
626:.
419:.
323:.
315:,
261:,
40:,
1085:.
1066:.
1028:.
1005:.
991:.
964:.
952:7
920:.
890:.
859:.
834:.
763:.
357:.
206:)
191:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
