During the Second World War, RAF Medmenham was the main interpretation centre for photographic reconnaissance operations in the European and Mediterranean theatres.

[4] 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.

Two renowned archaeologists also worked there as interpreters: Dorothy Garrod, the first woman to hold an Oxbridge Chair, and Glyn Daniel, who went on to gain popular acclaim as the host of the television game show Animal, Vegetable or Mineral?.

Babington Smith was also responsible for the Allies' confirmation of the existence of the German Me 163 Komet rocket plane as well as evidence of the test flights of the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, the scorched grass caused by the rocket and jet engines of both aircraft being visible in aerial photographs taken over Rechlin – "The German equivalent of Farnborough".

[7][8] With the cessation of hostilities in Europe in May 1945 some sections closed almost immediately, whilst others worked on tasks for the Control Commission in Germany.

In 2012 JARIC was renamed Defence Geospatial Intelligence Fusion Centre (DGIFC) and moved to the other side of Huntingdon to RAF Wyton in 2013.

On 3 November 1958, RAF Signals Command (motto: Aetherem Vincere – "To conquer the upper air")[10] was formed at Medmenham by raising No.

The organisation was staffed by civilian scientists ("boffins") and serving officers and worked predominantly in the fields of airborne radar and ground-controlled interception (GCI).

In 1946, PDS was disbanded and a successor organisation, the Radio Introduction Branch (RIB), was formed at RAF Medmenham.

The unit had a complement of ten officers dealing with airfield approach aids, airborne tail warning, Doppler navigation, weapon aiming and airborne interception for aircraft such as the Gloster Javelin, Bristol Brigand, Vickers Valetta, de Havilland Venom and Gloster Meteor.