RAF Medmenham

RAF Medmenham was a Royal Air Force station based at Danesfield House near Medmenham, in Buckinghamshire, England. Activities there specialized in photographic intelligence, and it was once the home of the RAF Intelligence Branch. During the Second World War, RAF Medmenham was the main interpretation centre for photographic reconnaissance operations in the European and Mediterranean theatres.Second World WarIn April 1941, an RAF photographic interpretation unit moved to Danesfield House, Medmenham, as its previous location at Wembley was short of space, and was renamed the Central Interpretation Unit . Later that year the Bomber Command Damage Assessment Section was absorbed, and amalgamation was completed when the Night Photographic Interpretation Section of No 3 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit, RAF Oakington, was integrated with CIU in February 1942 and the base was assigned the motto Serve and Support.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 VE-day, the print library, which documented and stored worldwide cover, held 5,000,000 prints from which 40,000 reports had been produced.