Radar Pioneer Dies
Discussion
"In 1940, a team of British scientists arrived in Washington bearing Britain's most closely guarded technological secrets - including the cavity magnetron, a revolutionary new source of microwave energy. Its arrival triggered the most dramatic mobilization of science in history, as America's top scientists enlisted to convert the invention into a potent military weapon. Microwave radars eventually helped destroy Japanese warships and Nazi buzz bombs, and enabled Allied bombers to "see" through cloud cover. After the war, the work of the radar veterans continues to affect our lives - controlling air traffic, forecasting the weather and providing physicians with powerful diagnostic tools. With anecdotes and revelations, this work explores the work of the scientists who created a winning weapon and changed the world forever."
It's a fascinating story and available from Amazon for pennies. Check the link,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-That-Changed-Wor...
It's a fascinating story and available from Amazon for pennies. Check the link,
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invention-That-Changed-Wor...
Vary Sad. I always follow stories about RADAR as it was a secret world hidden from view for a number of years.
My Father worked during the war on the chain home system (as it was called in the early days) and was driven from his boarding house to Shingle Street in a bread van for secrecy.
Then went on to install systems in the war from the Hebrides to Africa to parts of Europe and the middle east.
He also built our first TV and the first in the area!. It was based on a radar tube being 5" round and green.
I know that he told me at one location there was a hut in the middle of all these curtain arrays that had hanging in the corner a loop of wire connected to a lamp that glowed cherry red to indicate the transmitter was on.
My Father worked during the war on the chain home system (as it was called in the early days) and was driven from his boarding house to Shingle Street in a bread van for secrecy.
Then went on to install systems in the war from the Hebrides to Africa to parts of Europe and the middle east.
He also built our first TV and the first in the area!. It was based on a radar tube being 5" round and green.
I know that he told me at one location there was a hut in the middle of all these curtain arrays that had hanging in the corner a loop of wire connected to a lamp that glowed cherry red to indicate the transmitter was on.
Edited by Morningside on Friday 7th October 22:19
I happened to take a copy of Cold War Secret Nuclear Bunkers when me & the mrs went for a long weekend to Suffolk a couple of years ago.
I was amazed to then discover Bawdsey & Orford Ness (I knew something of Orford but not it's involvement in this story).
I also found a leaflet which told of an idea (put crudely) to use radio waves as a death ray. Watson-Watt at the National Physical Laboratory in Slough was tasked with this by the Air Ministry.
Not much mileage in that but could identify aircraft from afar. The rest as they say is history.
Fascinating book it is too, but does get a little technical (which is right up my street).
I was amazed to then discover Bawdsey & Orford Ness (I knew something of Orford but not it's involvement in this story).
I also found a leaflet which told of an idea (put crudely) to use radio waves as a death ray. Watson-Watt at the National Physical Laboratory in Slough was tasked with this by the Air Ministry.
Not much mileage in that but could identify aircraft from afar. The rest as they say is history.
Fascinating book it is too, but does get a little technical (which is right up my street).
Melvin Udall said:
NismoGT said:
frosted said:
It just shows where our priorities are , the other S.Jobs thread has 20 pages
Rip
I don't understand it either.Rip
RIP.
That it doesn't (rather like the passing of a chap who's efforts have saved the lives of more than a few) says more about our current society than my Bathurst/whisky induced rumblings ever could.
I don't watch that much TV and even less newsy type stuff, so I must have missed the international tributes to the forces behind radar and pacemakers.
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