'
Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, ca. 1944
Born	April 13, 1892 Brechin in Angus, Scotland
Died	December 5, 1973 Inverness
Known for	radar

Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, FRS FRAeS (April 13, 1892–December 5, 1973), is considered by many to be the "inventor of radar". Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Brechin is a former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status Angus ( Aonghas in Gaelic) is one of the 32 local government Council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Inverness (Inbhir Nis iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ is a city in northern Scotland. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 Founded in 1866 The Royal Aeronautical Society, also known as the RAeS, is a multidisciplinary professional institution dedicated to the entire global Aerospace Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1892 ( MDCCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Leap year Events 63 BC - Cicero reads the last of his Catiline Orations. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Radar development was first started elsewhere (see History of radar), but Watson-Watt worked on some of the first workable radar systems, turning the theory into one of the most important war-winning weapons. The history of radar began in the 1900s when engineers invented simple uni-directional ranging devices World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Early years

Born in Brechin in Angus, Scotland, he was a descendant of James Watt, the famous engineer and inventor of the practical steam engine. Brechin is a former Royal burgh in Angus, Scotland. Traditionally Brechin is often described as a city because of its cathedral and its status Angus ( Aonghas in Gaelic) is one of the 32 local government Council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. James Watt ( 19 January 1736 &ndash 25 August 1819 Boulton proved to be an excellent businessman and both men eventually made fortunes A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid.

After attending Brechin High School ^[1], he was accepted to University College, Dundee (which was then part of the University of St Andrews but became the University of Dundee in 1967). The University of St Andrews is the oldest University in Scotland and third oldest in the English-speaking world, having been founded between The University of Dundee ( Gaelic: Oilthigh Dùn Deagh) is the older and arguably much more stuck-up and snobby of the two Universities in the city Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. He graduated with a BSc in engineering in 1912, and was offered an assistantship by Professor William Peddie. A Bachelor of Science ( BS, BSc or BSc in the UK; less commonly S Year 1912 ( MCMXII) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year starting It was Peddie who encouraged him to study radio, or "wireless telegraphy" as it was then known.

Middle years

In 1915 Watson-Watt wanted a job with the War Office, but nothing obvious was available in communications. Year 1915 ( MCMXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963 when Instead he joined the Meteorological Office, who were interested in his ideas on the use of radio for the detection of thunderstorms. For the UKMET model see Tropical cyclone forecast model. The Met Office (originally an abbreviation for Meteorological Office, Lightning gives off a radio signal as it ionizes the air, and he planned on detecting this signal in order to warn pilots of approaching thunderstorms. Lightning is an atmospheric discharge of Electricity, which typically occurs during Thunderstorms and sometimes during volcanic eruptions or

Early experiments

His early experiments were successful in detecting the signal, and he quickly proved to be able to do so at long ranges. Two problems remained however. The first was locating the signal, and thus the direction to the storm. This was solved with the use of a directional antenna, which could be manually turned to maximize (or minimize) the signal, thus "pointing" to the storm. An antenna is a Transducer designed to transmit or Receive electromagnetic waves In other words antennas convert electromagnetic waves into Once this was solved the equally difficult problem of actually seeing the fleeting signal became obvious, which he solved with the use of a cathode-ray oscilloscope with a long-lasting phosphor. An oscilloscope (commonly abbreviated to scope or O-scope) is a type of Electronic test equipment that allows signal Voltages to be viewed A phosphor is a substance that exhibits the phenomenon of Phosphorescence (sustained glowing after exposure to energized particles such as Electrons Such a system represented a significant part of a complete radar system, and was in use as early as 1923. It would, however, need the addition of a pulsed transmitter and a method of measuring the time delay of the received radio echos, and that would in time come from work on ionosondes.

At first he worked at the Wireless Station of Air Ministry Meteorological Office in Aldershot, England. Aldershot is a town in the English County of Hampshire, located on heathland about 60 km (37 miles southwest of London. England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Then in 1924 when the War Department gave notice that they wished to re-occupy their Aldershot site, he moved to Ditton Park near Slough (to the west of London). Year 1924 ( MCMXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ditton Park was part of the Manor of Ditton which was in what was formerly the south east corner of the English county of Buckinghamshire, before the county Slough ( ˈslaʊ is a Borough and Unitary authority within the ceremonial county of Berkshire, England. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) already had a research station there, and in 1927 they were amalgamated as the Radio Research Station, with Watson-Watt in charge. The National Physical Laboratory (NPL is the national Measurement standards laboratory for the United Kingdom, based at Bushy Park in Teddington Year 1927 ( MCMXXVII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Radio Research Station 1924 - August 31 1979 at Ditton Park, Buckinghamshire, England was the UK government research laboratory which pioneered After a further re-organisation in 1933, Watson-Watt became Superintendent of the Radio Department of NPL in Teddington. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Air defence in the UK

In 1933 the Air Ministry had recently set up a committee to advance the state of the art of air defence in the UK. Year 1933 ( MCMXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In World War I the Germans had used Zeppelins as long-range bombers over London and other cities and defences had struggled to counter the threat. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All A Zeppelin is a type of Rigid airship pioneered by the German Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin in the early 20th century based on designs he had outlined

The prospect of aerial bombardment of civilian areas was causing great anxiety with modern heavy bombers able to approach from altitudes that anti-aircraft guns were unable to reach. Worse, with the enemy airfields only 20 minutes away, the bombers would have dropped their bombs and be returning to base before the intercepting fighters could get to altitude. The only solution would be to have standing patrols of fighters in the air at all times, but with the limited cruising time of a fighter this would require a gigantic standing force. Something needed to be done.

Nazi Germany

It was at about this time that Nazi Germany claimed to have a "death-ray" which used radio waves, and claimed it was capable of destroying towns, cities and people. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The death ray or death beam was a theoretical Particle beam or Electromagnetic weapon of the 1920s through the 1930s that was claimed to have been invented The committee's chair, H. E. Wimperis, visited Watson-Watt at Teddington in 1934, asking about the possibility of building their own version of such a death-ray, specifically for use against aircraft. Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Watson-Watt quickly returned a calculation carried out by his assistant, Arnold Wilkins, showing that such a device was basically impossible to construct, and fears of a Nazi version soon vanished. Arnold Frederic Wilkins OBE, (born February 1907 died August 5, 1985) was a pioneer in developing the use of radar However he also mentioned in the same analysis "Meanwhile attention is being turned to the still difficult, but less unpromising, problem of radio detection and numerical considerations on the method of detection by reflected radio waves will be submitted when required. "

Aircraft detection and location

Wilkin's sketch of the Daventry Experiment

Memorial at site of first successful RADAR experiments. LAT 52. 195982°, LON -1. 050121° on 26-2-1935

Closeup of memorial plaque

On February 12, 1935, Watson-Watt sent a memo of the proposed system to the Air Ministry, entitled Detection and location of aircraft by radio methods. Events 1429 - English Forces under Sir John Fastolf defend a supply convoy carrying rations to the army besieging Orleans from attack by the Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Air Ministry was formerly a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force. Although not as exciting as a death-ray, the concept clearly had amazing potential and Watson-Watt was promptly asked for a demonstration by the committee, chaired by Sir Henry Tizard^[2]. Sir Henry Thomas Tizard ( 23 August 1885 in Gillingham, Kent – 9 October 1959 in Fareham, Hampshire This was ready by February 26, and consisted of two receiving antennas located about ten kilometers away from one of the BBC's shortwave broadcast antennas at Daventry. Events 747 BC - Epoch (origin of Ptolemy 's Nabonassar Era 364 - Valentinian I is proclaimed Daventry (ˈdævəntri or ˈdeɪntɹɪ is a Market town in Northamptonshire, England, with a population of 22367 (2001 Census) Signals travelling directly from the station were filtered out, and a Heyford bomber flown around the site (passive radar). The Handley Page Heyford was a twin-engine British Biplane bomber of the 1930s Passive radar systems (also referred to as passive coherent location and passive covert radar) encompass a class of Radar systems that detect and track Such was the secrecy that only three people witnessed the test, Watson-Watt, his assistant Arnold Wilkins, and a single member of the committee, A. P. Rowe. The demonstration was a success: on several occasions a clear signal was seen from the bomber. Most importantly, the prime minister, Stanley Baldwin, was kept quietly informed of radar's progress. The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the political leader of the United Kingdom Stanley Baldwin 1st Earl Baldwin of Bewdley, KG, PC (3 August 1867 &ndash 14 December 1947 was a British Conservative politician statesman and major

Only two weeks later Wilkins left the Radio Research Station with a small party, including Edward George Bowen, to start further research at Orford Ness. Edward George 'Taffy' Bowen, CBE, FRS ( 14 January, 1911 – 12 August, 1991) was a British physicist who made a major contribution Orford Ness is a Cuspate foreland shingle spit on the Suffolk coast in Great Britain, linked to the mainland at Aldeburgh and stretching On April 2, 1935, Watson-Watt was granted a patent for radar. Events 68 - Galba, Governor of Hispania, names himself legatus senatus populique Romani, breaking the line of Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. By June they were detecting aircraft at 27 kilometres, which was enough to stop all work on competing sound-based detection systems. The kilometre ( American spelling: kilometer) symbol km is a unit of Length in the Metric system, equal to one thousand Acoustic location is the art and science of using Sound to determine the distance and direction of something By the end of the year the range was up to 100 kilometres, at which point plans were made in December to set up five stations covering the approaches to London.

One of these stations was to be located on the coast near Orford Ness, and Bawdsey Research Station was set up there to become the main centre for all radar research. Bawdsey is a village in Suffolk, England near Felixstowe, within the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. The Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE was established in Worth Matravers, which is four miles to the west of Swanage, UK in May 1940 They soon conducted "full scale" tests of a system that would soon be known as Chain Home, attempting to intercept a bomber by radar direction. Chain Home was the codename for the ring of coastal Radar stations built by the British before and during World War II. The tests were a massive failure, with the fighter only seeing the bomber after it had passed its target. The problem was not the radar, but the flow of information from the trackers to the fighters, which took many steps and was very slow. Watson-Watt immediately attacked this problem, and set up the system with several layers of reporting that were eventually sent to a single large room for mapping. Observers watching the maps would then tell the fighter groups what to do via direct communications.

By 1937 the first three stations were ready, and his new reporting system put to the test. Year 1937 ( MCMXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The results were clearly successful and an immediate order for an additional 20 stations was sent out. By the start of World War II 19 were ready to play a key part in the Battle of Britain, and by the end of the war over 50 had been built. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and The Germans were aware of the construction of Chain Home but were not sure of their purpose. They tested their theories with a flight of LZ 130, the GRAF Zeppelin II, but concluded the stations were a new long-range naval communications system. This is a complete list of Zeppelins constructed by the original German Zeppelin companies from 1900 until 1938

Even as early as 1936 it was realized that the Luftwaffe would turn to night bombing if the day campaign did not go well, and Watson-Watt had put another of the staff from the Radio Research Station, Edward Bowen, in charge of developing a radar that could be carried by a fighter. Year 1936 ( MCMXXXVI) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. Night time visual detection of a bomber was good to about 300 metres, and the existing CH systems simply didn't have the accuracy needed to get the fighters that close. Bowen decided that an airborne radar should not exceed 200 pounds (90 kg) in weight, 8 ft³ (230 L) in volume, and require no more than 500 watts of power. To reduce the drag of the antennas the operating wavelength could not be much greater than one metre, difficult for the day's electronics. Nevertheless such a system, known as "AI" - Airborne Interception, was perfected by 1940, and were instrumental in eventually ending "The Blitz" of 1941. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Blitz was the sustained bombing of Britain by Nazi Germany between 7 September 1940 and 10 May 1941 in World War II. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Bowen also fitted airborne radar to maritime patrol aircraft (known in this application as "ASV" - Air to Surface Vessel) and this eventually reduced the threat from submarines.

Contribution to World war II

In his English History 1914-1945, eminent English Historian A.J.P. Taylor paid the highest of praise to Watson Watt, Sir Henry Tizard and their associates who developed and put in place radar, crediting them with being fundamental to victory in World war II. Alan John Percival Taylor ( March 25, 1906 – September 7, 1990) was a renowned English Historian of the 20th century Sir Henry Thomas Tizard ( 23 August 1885 in Gillingham, Kent – 9 October 1959 in Fareham, Hampshire World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including There would have been no success in the Battle of Britain without radar and consequently Britain would not have survived. The Battle of Britain (German ''Luftschlacht um England'' is the name given to the sustained strategic effort by the German Luftwaffe during the summer and

Later years

In July 1938 Watson-Watt left Bawdsey Manor and took up the post of Director of Communications Development (DCD-RAE). Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1939 Sir George Lee took over the job of DCD, and Watson-Watt became Scientific Advisor on Telecommunications (SAT) to the Air Ministry, travelling to the USA in 1941 in order to advise them on the severe inadequacies of their air defense efforts illustrated by the Pearl Harbor attack. Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The attack on Pearl Harbor (or Hawaii Operation, as it was called by the Imperial General Headquarters) was a surprise Military strike conducted by

His contributions to the war effort were so overwhelming that he was knighted in 1942. Year 1942 ( MCMXLII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1952 he was awarded £50,000 by the British government for his contributions in the development of radar. Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. He spent much of the post-war era in Canada, and later the USA, where he published Three Steps to Victory in 1958. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

On one occasion, late in his life, Sir Watson-Watt reportedly was pulled over in America for speeding by a radar-gun toting policeman. His remark was, "Had I known what you were going to do with it I would never have invented it!"

Death and afterwards

After the war Watson-Watt was reportedly disappointed that he did not gain more recognition for his contribution to the allies’ victory. He established a practice as a consulting engineer, but in the 1950s moved to Canada, and later to the USA. He returned to Scotland in the 1960s.

In 1966, at the age of 72, he proposed to Kathryn Jane Trefusis Forbes. Trefusis-Forbes, who at that time was 67, had also played a significant role in the Battle of Britain as the founding Air Commander of the Women's’ Auxiliary Air Force, which supplied the radar-room operatives.

From that time, they lived together in London in the winter, and at The Observatory – Trefusis-Forbes summer home, in Pitlochry, Perthshire, during the warmer months. The marriage was not considered a universal success – certainly by members of Kathryn Jane’s family. Nevertheless, the couple stayed together until they died – Dame Kathryn in 1971, Watson-Watt in 1973. Both are buried in the church yard at Pitlochry.

He died in Inverness. Inverness (Inbhir Nis iɲɪɾʲˈniʃ is a city in northern Scotland.

External links

• Davis, Chris, "Sir Robert Alexander Watson-Watt, FRS (1892-1973)"
• Hollmann, Martin, "Radar Development In England". Radar World.
• Lem, Elizabeth, "The Ditton Park Archive". Ditton Park Archive, rl. ac. uk. January 2004.
• "Radar Personalities : Sir Robert Watson-Watt". RadarPages.
• "The Royal Air Force Air Defence Radar Museum" at RRH Neatishead, Norfolk.
• "The Watson-Watt Society of Brechin". aims to encourage the public to have a better understanding of the pioneering work of Sir Robert Watson-Watt. The Society intends to create a permanent memorial in Brechin- artists and craftsmen will be invited to submit designs and tender for the work. It is hoped that science and aviation enthusiasts will visit this ancient and interesting city to view the memorial, which will be raised by public subscription and is planned to be unveiled in 2009. It is also intended to produce an interactive digital exhibit for use in the Town House Museum, and to provided an annual science prize for Brechin High School senior pupils.

Notes and references