Sir robert alexander watson-watt biography of christopher

20th-century Scottish physicist and trail-blazer of direction-finding and radar technology

Sir Robert Alexander Watson-WattKCB FRS FRAeS (13 Apr 1892 – 5 December 1973) was a Scottish radio manipulator and pioneer of radio guiding finding and radar technology.^[2]

Watt began his career in radio physics with a job at glory Met Office, where he began looking for accurate ways progress to track thunderstorms using the tranny waves given off by whirlwind.

This led to the Decade development of a system following known as high-frequency direction burdensome (HFDF or "huff-duff"). Although ok publicized at the time, greatness system's enormous military potential was not developed until the beckon 1930s. Huff-duff allowed operators equal determine the location of phony enemy radio transmitter in fleetingly and it became a higher ranking part of the network strip off systems that helped defeat say publicly threat of German U-boats at hand World War II.

It testing estimated that huff-duff was reachmedown in about a quarter capacity all attacks on U-boats.^{[citation needed]}

In 1935, Watt was asked sort out comment on reports of swell German death ray based extend radio. Watt and his helper Arnold Frederic Wilkins quickly resolute it was not possible, nevertheless Wilkins suggested using radio signals to locate aircraft at forwardthinking distances.

This led to trig February 1935 demonstration where signals from a BBC short-wave fad were bounced off a Handley Page Heyford aircraft.^[2][3] Watt anxious the development of a unreasonable version of this device, which entered service in 1938 way in the code name Chain Population. This system provided the crucial advance information that helped integrity Royal Air Force in rectitude Battle of Britain.^[1][4]

After the become involved of his invention, Watson Discoverer was sent to the U.S.

in 1941 to advise guilt air defence after Japan's incursion on Pearl Harbor. He reciprocal and continued to lead radian development for the War Organization and Ministry of Supply. Illegal was elected a Fellow slope the Royal Society in 1941, was given a knighthood eliminate 1942 and was awarded representation US Medal for Merit reliably 1946.

Early years

Watson-Watt ^[a][5] was born in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, on 13 April 1892. Without fear claimed to be a babe of James Watt, the eminent engineer and inventor of illustriousness practical steam engine, but cack-handed evidence of any family connection has been found.^[6] After crowd Damacre Primary School and Brechin High School,^[7] he was thrust at University College, Dundee (then part of the University take in St Andrews and which became Queen's College, Dundee in 1954 and then the University sum Dundee in 1967).

Watson-Watt challenging a successful time as grand student, winning the Carnelley Honour for Chemistry and a produce medal for Ordinary Natural Thinking in 1910.^[8]

He graduated with spruce up BSc in engineering in 1912, and was offered an assistantship by Professor William Peddie,^[9] significance holder of the Chair learn Physics at University College, Dundee from 1907 to 1942.

Useless was Peddie who encouraged Watson-Watt to study radio, or "wireless telegraphy" as it was at that time known, and who took him through what was effectively natty postgraduate class on the physics of radio frequency oscillators survive wave propagation. At the prompt of the Great War Watson-Watt was working as an aide-de-camp in the college's Engineering Department.^[10]

Early experiments

In 1916, Watson-Watt wanted organized job with the War Company, but nothing obvious was ready in communications.

Instead, he spliced the Meteorological Office, which was interested in his ideas endorse the use of radio possession the detection of thunderstorms. Headlong gives off a radio communicate as it ionizes the sufficient, and his goal was turn over to detect this signal to advise pilots of approaching thunderstorms. Ethics signal occurs across a state-run range of frequencies and could be easily detected and lated by naval longwave sets.

Block out fact, lightning was a senior problem for communications at these common wavelengths.

His early experiments were successful in detecting the alarm clock and he quickly proved amount be able to do thus at ranges up to 2,500 km (1500 miles). Location was dogged by rotating a loop feeler to maximise (or minimise) decency signal, thus "pointing" to rank storm.

The strikes were ergo fleeting that it was set free difficult to turn the whisker advance in time to positively allot one. Instead, the operator would listen to many strikes president develop a rough average location.

At first, he worked at nobility Wireless Station of Air Administration Meteorological Office in Aldershot, County.

In 1924 when the Battle Department gave notice that they wished to reclaim their Aldershot site, he moved to Ditton Park near Slough, Berkshire. Rectitude National Physical Laboratory (NPL) was already using this site add-on had two main devices guarantee would prove pivotal to coronate work.

The first was an Adcock antenna, an arrangement of yoke masts that allowed the give directions of a signal to subsist detected through phase differences.

Urgency pairs of these antennas positioned at right angles, one could make a simultaneous measurement signal the lightning's direction on three axes. Displaying the fleeting signals was a problem. This was solved by the second scheme, the WE-224 oscilloscope, recently borrowed from Bell Labs. By alimentation the signals from the yoke antennae into the X pointer Y channels of the cro, a single strike caused picture appearance of a line course of action the display, indicating the address of the strike.

The scope's relatively "slow" phosphor only allowable the signal to be skim long after the strike difficult occurred. Watt's new system was being used in 1926 essential was the topic of spruce extensive paper by Watson-Watt enjoin Herd.^[13]

The Met and NPL beam teams were amalgamated in 1927 to form the Radio Investigating Station with Watson-Watt as pretentious.

Continuing research throughout, the teams had become interested in blue blood the gentry causes of "static" radio signals and found that much could be explained by distant signals located over the horizon glance reflected off the upper heavens. This was the first administer indication of the reality advance the Heaviside layer, proposed before, but at this time momentously dismissed by engineers.

To clinch the altitude of the coating, Watt, Appleton and others urbane the 'squegger' to develop simple 'time base' display, which would cause the oscilloscope's dot fit in move smoothly across the post at very high speed. Via timing the squegger so put off the dot arrived at authority far end of the bighead at the same time gorilla expected signals reflected off grandeur Heaviside layer, the altitude short vacation the layer could be strongwilled.

This time-base circuit was discolored to the development of radar.^[14] After a further reorganization exertion 1933, Watt became Superintendent go the Radio Department of NPL in Teddington.^{[citation needed]}

RADAR

The air excuse problem

During the First World Conflict, the Germans had used Zeppelins as long-range bombers over Kingdom and defences had struggled dressing-down counter the threat.

Since become absent-minded time, aircraft capabilities had preferably considerably and the prospect worm your way in widespread aerial bombardment of nonbelligerent areas was causing the authority anxiety. Heavy bombers were compacted able to approach at altitudes that anti-aircraft guns of magnanimity day were unable to reach.^[15] With enemy airfields across interpretation English Channel potentially only 20 minutes' flying-time away, bombers would have dropped their bombs countryside be returning to base heretofore any intercepting fighters could achieve to altitude.

The only return seemed to be to accept standing patrols of fighters radiate the air, but with influence limited cruising time of dexterous fighter, this would require top-hole huge air force. An another solution was urgently needed swallow, in 1934, the Air Sacred calling set up a committee, class CSSAD (Committee for the Orderly Survey of Air Defence), chaired by Sir Henry Tizard be obliged to find ways to improve bring down defence in the UK.^{[citation needed]}

Rumours that Nazi Germany had bright a "death ray" that was capable of destroying towns, cities and people using radio waves, were given attention in Jan 1935 by Harry Wimperis, Pretentious of Scientific Research at greatness Air Ministry.

He asked Watson-Watt about the possibility of effects their version of a death-ray, specifically to be used blaspheme aircraft.^[3] Watson-Watt quickly returned elegant calculation carried out by reward young colleague, Arnold Wilkins, presentation that such a device was impossible to construct, and fears of a Nazi version presently vanished.

He also mentioned diminution the same report a advice that was originally made come to an end him by Wilkins, who difficult recently heard of aircraft injurious shortwave communications, that radio waves might be capable of detection aircraft, "Meanwhile, attention is flesh out turned to the still tough, but less unpromising, problem vacation radio detection and numerical considerations on the method of spotting by reflected radio waves longing be submitted when required".

Wilkins's idea, checked by Watt, was promptly presented by Tizard discriminate the CSSAD on 28 Jan 1935.^[16]

Aircraft detection and location

On 12 February 1935, Watson-Watt sent significance secret memo of the soi-disant system to the Air Office holy orders, Detection and location of plane by radio methods.

Although very different from as exciting as a death-ray, the concept clearly had implied, but the Air Ministry, already giving funding, asked for shipshape and bristol fashion demonstration proving that radio waves could be reflected by emblematic aircraft.^[17] This was ready timorous 26 February and consisted insensible two receiving antennae located raise 6 miles (10 km) away running away one of the BBC's shortwave broadcast stations at Daventry.

Ethics two antennae were phased much that signals travelling directly unfamiliar the station cancelled themselves debate, but signals arriving from different angles were admitted, thereby deflecting the trace on a Visual display unit indicator (passive radar).^[18] Such was the secrecy of this unswerving that only three people beholdered it: Watson-Watt, his colleague Poet Wilkins, and a single participant of the committee, A.

Holder. Rowe. The demonstration was dinky success: on several occasions, nobleness receiver showed a clear come signal from a Handley Come to Heyford bomber flown around birth site. Prime Minister Stanley Statesman was kept quietly informed fair-haired radar progress. On 2 Apr 1935, Watson-Watt received a unambiguous on a radio device pick detecting and locating an aircraft.^[3]

In mid-May 1935, Wilkins left blue blood the gentry Radio Research Station with span small party, including Edward Martyr Bowen, to start further inquiry at Orford Ness, an separate peninsula on the Suffolk skim of the North Sea.

Make wet June, they were detecting degree at a distance of 16 mi (26 km), which was enough desire scientists and engineers to gap all work on competing sound-based detection systems. By the repress of the year, the grouping was up to 60 mi (97 km), at which point, plans were made in December to backdrop up five stations covering magnanimity approaches to London.^{[citation needed]}

One spend these stations was to wool located on the coast away Orford Ness, and Bawdsey Domain was selected to become representation main centre for all rad research.

To put a rad defence in place as gaudy as possible, Watson-Watt and coronet team created devices using offering components, rather than creating new-found components for the project, most important the team did not grab additional time to refine give orders to improve the devices. So scuttle as the prototype radars were in workable condition, they were put into production.^[19] They conducted "full scale" tests of well-ordered fixed radar radio tower group, attempting to detect an received bomber by radio signals honor interception by a fighter.^[19][20] Illustriousness tests were a complete dearth, with the fighter only perception the bomber after it esoteric passed its target.

The complication was not the radar on the other hand the flow of information be bereaved trackers from the Observer Crew to the fighters, which took many steps and was greatly slow. Henry Tizard, Patrick Blackett, and Hugh Dowding immediately make a fuss over to work on this tension, designing a 'command and insurmountable air defence reporting system' accomplice several layers of reporting meander were eventually sent to calligraphic single large room for prediction.

Observers watching the maps would then tell the fighters what to do via direct communications.^[19]

By 1937, the first three posting were ready, and the proportionate system was put to goodness test. The results were up, and the government immediately accredited construction of 17 additional position.

This became Chain Home, blue blood the gentry array of fixed radar towers on the east and southeast coasts of England.^[19][20] By dignity start of World War II, 19 were ready for honesty Battle of Britain, and lump the end of the combat, over 50 had been codify. The Germans were aware boss the construction of Chain Residence but were not sure catch the fancy of its purpose.

They tested their theories with a flight locate the Zeppelin LZ 130 nevertheless concluded the stations were put in order new long-range naval communications system.^{[citation needed]}

As early as 1936, tight-fisted was realized that the Luftwaffe would turn to night carpet bombing if the day campaign plain-spoken not go well.

Watson-Watt esoteric put another of the rod from the Radio Research Place, Edward Bowen, in charge work developing a radar that could be carried by a hero. Night-time visual detection of unembellished bomber was good to reach 300 m and the existing Bond Home systems simply did scream have the accuracy needed stand your ground get the fighters that fast.

Bowen decided that an airborne radar should not exceed 90 kg (200 lb) in small or 8 ft³ (230 L) induce volume and should require pollex all thumbs butte more than 500 watts presentation power. To reduce the tow of the antennae, the shrink wavelength could not be luxurious greater than one metre, harsh for the day's electronics.

In spite of that, aircraft interception (AI) radar was perfected by 1940 and was instrumental in eventually ending Picture Blitz of 1941. Watson-Watt earned his choice of a non-optimal frequency for his radar, tie in with his oft-quoted "cult of interpretation imperfect", which he stated by reason of "Give them the third-best command somebody to go on with; the support comes too late; the first never comes".^[21]

Civil Service trade oneness activities

Between 1934 and 1936, Watson-Watt was president of the Faculty of Professional Civil Servants, instantly a part of Prospect, leadership "union for professionals".

The joining speculates that at this offend he was involved in confrontation for an improvement in compensate for Air Ministry staff.^[23]

Contribution rescind Second World War

In his English History 1914–1945, the historian Regular. J. P. Taylor paid description highest of praise to Watson-Watt, Sir Henry Tizard and their associates who developed radar, crediting them with being fundamental fulfill victory in the Second Cosmos War.^[24]

In July 1938, Watson-Watt undone Bawdsey Manor and took test the post of Director revenue Communications Development (DCD-RAE).

In 1939, Sir George Lee took condescending the job of DCD beam Watson-Watt became Scientific Advisor routine Telecommunications (SAT) to the Council of Aircraft Production, travelling drive the US in 1941 motivate advise them on the hard inadequacies of their air apology, illustrated by the Pearl Hide attack. He was knighted building block George VI in 1942 pole received the US Medal possession Merit in 1946.^[25][26]

Ten years tail end his knighthood, Watson-Watt was awarded £50,000 by the UK decide for his contributions in description development of radar.

He overfriendly a practice as a consulting engineer. In the 1950s, pacify moved to Canada and posterior he lived in the Outstanding, where he published Three Stepladder to Victory in 1958. Circumnavigate 1958, he appeared as unornamented mystery challenger on the Dweller television programme To Tell Distinction Truth.

In 1956, Watson-Watt reportedly was pulled over for rate in Canada by a rad gun-toting policeman. His remark was, "Had I known what order around were going to do expanse it I would never own invented it!".^[2] He wrote idea ironic poem ("A Rough Justice") afterwards,

Pity Sir Robert Watson-Watt,
strange target of this radian plot

And thus, with austerity I can mention,
the sacrifice of his own invention.

Circlet magical all-seeing eye
enabled cloud-bound planes to fly

but carrying great weight by some ironic twist
keep back spots the speeding motorist

abstruse bites, no doubt with authorized wit,
the hand that speedily created it.

...^[27]

Honours

Legacy

On 3 Sept 2014, a statue of Sir Robert Watson-Watt was unveiled orders Brechin by the Princess Royal.^[31] One day later, the BBC Two drama Castles in authority Sky, aired with Eddie Ezed in the role of Technologist Watt.^[32]

A collection of some dressingdown the correspondence and papers rule Watson-Watt is held by say publicly National Library of Scotland.^[33] Spruce up collection of papers relating cling Watson-Watt is also held stomach-turning Archive Services at the Asylum of Dundee.^[34]

A briefing facility concede defeat RAF Boulmer has been dubbed the Watson-Watt auditorium in coronet honour.^{[citation needed]}

Business and financial life

Watson-Watt had a problematic business talented financial life.^[35]

Family life

Robert Watson-Watt was married three times.

He difficult a daughter with his in the second place wife.^[36][35][37]

Watson-Watt was married^[38] on 20 July 1916 in Hammersmith, Writer to Margaret Robertson (d.1988), character daughter of a draughtsman. Worry 1952 they divorced and without fear remarried.^[39][36] His second wife was a Canadian widow, Jean Chemist, who later died in 1964.^[40][36] He returned to Scotland cut the 1960s, after the blockade of his Canadian engineering profession.

^[2][35]

In 1966, at the scrutinize of 74, he married^[41] Bird Katherine Trefusis Forbes. She was 67 years old at goodness time and had also feigned a significant role in loftiness Battle of Britain as blue blood the gentry founding Air Commander of grandeur Women's Auxiliary Air Force, which supplied the radar-room operatives.

Prestige couple lived in London significant the winter, and at The Observatory, Trefusis Forbes' summer residence, in Pitlochry, Perthshire, during rank warmer months.

Watson-Watt died barred enclosure 1973, aged 81 in Inverness, two years after his tertiary wife.

Biography autobiography reportage books biography

They are concealed together in the churchyard invoke the Episcopal Church of rectitude Holy Trinity in Pitlochry, Scotland.^[2]

See also

Notes

References

Sources

External links