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MI4 was a department of the British
Directorate of Military Intelligence, Section 4, part of the
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
. It was responsible for
aerial reconnaissance
Aerial reconnaissance is reconnaissance for a military or strategic purpose that is conducted using reconnaissance aircraft. The role of reconnaissance can fulfil a variety of requirements including artillery spotting, the collection of i ...
and interpretation. It developed into the
JARIC
The Defence Intelligence Fusion Centre (DIFC) is based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. Largely created from the staff of the National Imagery Exploitation Centre (formerly known as the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC)) and th ...
intelligence agency. The present day successor agency to MI4 is the
Defence Intelligence Fusion Centre
The Defence Intelligence Fusion Centre (DIFC) is based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. Largely created from the staff of the National Imagery Exploitation Centre (formerly known as the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC)) and th ...
.
History
MI4 was the codename of an organization that evolved rapidly during and after
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, including several changes of name. The Photographic Development Unit (PDU) of
1940
A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280.
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* Januar ...
became the Photographic Interpretation Unit (PIU) later the same year. The following year it became the Central Interpretation Unit (CIU) and in 1947 became the
Joint Air Photographic Intelligence Centre UK (JAPIC (UK)).
The role of Aerial Reconnaissance and the codename MI4 were thus subsumed into JAPIC (UK), which continues to the present day, following one further change of name in
1953
Events
January
* January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma.
* January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a government-in-exile in Oslo.
* January 14
** Marshal Josip Broz Tito is chosen President of Yug ...
, as the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC). Its designation as MI4 officially ceased on 8 September 1947, and the title has not endured in common British usage, at least not in the obvious manner that both
MI5
The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...
and
MI6
The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...
(also officially defunct titles) have continued to be used colloquially for their respective successor agencies.
One key role that the data from MI4 still performs is the avoidance and removal of
land mine
A land mine is an explosive device concealed under or on the ground and designed to destroy or disable enemy targets, ranging from combatants to vehicles and tanks, as they pass over or near it. Such a device is typically detonated automati ...
s, as they were heavily mapped in conjunction with the WRAITH initiative during World War II. Some of the data collected by MI4 was subsumed into the IMN (Intelligence Mainframe Network) at Cheltenham. This data has since been absorbed into the aerial reconnaissance unit of
GCHQ
Government Communications Headquarters, commonly known as GCHQ, is an intelligence and security organisation responsible for providing signals intelligence (SIGINT) and information assurance (IA) to the government and armed forces of the Uni ...
in Cheltenham, where director Ray Mitinkel oversees the updating process using
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
and satellite photography technology to accurately map the data with real time location to prevent future casualties.
After the Second World War MI4 took responsibility for hiring of premises in various parts of the British Empire, disposal of armaments and military equipment no longer required and hence a division named "Hirings and Disposals" was established. Employees were transferred for short term assignments such as Cyprus, to procure tents and housing for Jews who were prevented from continuing a voyage to settle in Palestine.
MI4 officers were also sent to Cairo, their main role being to dispose of postwar Military equipment, including demountable camp sites, and armoured vehicles. The role of the officer was to ensure that the buyers of ex-military equipment were not likely to use it against British interests in the region.
In
1948 -
52 there was usually only one full-time MI4 officer stationed in each locality including Egypt, Mauritius, and Kenya.
See also
*
RAF Intelligence
Intelligence services in the Royal Air Force are delivered by Officers of the Royal Air Force Intelligence Branch and Airmen from the Intelligence Analyst Trade and Intelligence Analyst (Voice) Trade. The specialisation has around 1,200 person ...
*
JARIC
The Defence Intelligence Fusion Centre (DIFC) is based at RAF Wyton in Cambridgeshire. Largely created from the staff of the National Imagery Exploitation Centre (formerly known as the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre (JARIC)) and th ...
*
RAF Medmenham
RAF Medmenham is a former Royal Air Force station based at Danesfield House near Medmenham, in Buckinghamshire, England. Activities there specialised in photographic intelligence, and it was once the home of the RAF Intelligence Branch. Durin ...
*
No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit RAF
*
National Collection of Aerial Photography
The National Collection of Aerial Photography is a photographic archive in Edinburgh, Scotland, containing 26 million aerial photographs of worldwide historic events and places. From 2008–2015 it was part of the Royal Commission on the Ancient an ...
References
* Zabecki, David T. (1999). ''World War II in Europe: An Encyclopedia''. Garland Science.
External links
Ministry of Defence - History of JARIC*
MI5
The Security Service, also known as MI5 ( Military Intelligence, Section 5), is the United Kingdom's domestic counter-intelligence and security agency and is part of its intelligence machinery alongside the Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), G ...
FAQ
"What happened to MI1 - MI4?"The Security Service
Defunct United Kingdom intelligence agencies
1940 establishments in the United Kingdom
Military communications of the United Kingdom
Military units and formations established in 1940
Military units and formations disestablished in 1947
War Office in World War II
British intelligence services of World War II
Aerial reconnaissance
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