Visit to Military Intellegence Museum at Chicksands

Tue, Nov 14th 2017 at 10:30 am - 1:00 pm

Hosted visit for club members to the museum at Chicksands

This equipment was used to create accurate models from aerial photographs, providing vital insights to the forces in WW2.

We were treated to a hosted visit to the Military Intelligence Museum at Chicksands.

The Military Intelligence Museum displays key elements of the history of British Military Intelligence from the Boer War onwards.

The central focus of the museum is the Intelligence Corps, including a great many objects and special exhibits about the history of the Corps. One of the two new interactive, permanent displays, focuses on the Honours and Awards received by members of the Corps, and the other paying tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their Sovereign and their country, in the 'Name of the Rose' interactive.

Another key collection is the Medmenham Collection devoted to aerial photography and image analysis. This highlights the use of 3D imagery, initially in the first World War and then again with huge success in later years, during World War II and the Cold War. The equipment shown in the picture was used to create 3D models from photographs, which were crucial to operations such as the Normandy landings and the Dambusters raid.

Complementing these displays are two smaller displays. These cover the 'BRIXMIS' intelligence-gathering mission, based in East Germany during the Cold War, and the American radio operations that took place in Chicksands, from 1950 until 1996.

A further highlight is the SOE display housing a comprehensive collection of artefacts brought over from post-war France and displayed in an innovative diorama with touch-screen displays bringing it to life. This display also commemorates over 600 members of the Intelligence Corps who served in SOE.