Sir Robert Alexander Watson Watt, KCB, FRS, FRAeS (13 April 1892 – 5 December 1973) was a British pioneer of radio direction finding and radar technology. Watt began his career in radio physics with a job at the Met Office, where he began looking for accurate ways to track thunderstorms using the radio signals given off by lightning.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, was given a knighthood in 1942 and was awarded the US Medal for Merit in 1946. ==Early years== Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, on 13 April 1892.
Watson-Watt had a successful time as a student, winning the Carnelley Prize for Chemistry and a class medal for Ordinary Natural Philosophy in 1910. He graduated with a BSc in engineering in 1912, and was offered an assistantship by Professor William Peddie, the holder of the Chair of Physics at University College, Dundee from 1907 to 1942.
Watson-Watt had a successful time as a student, winning the Carnelley Prize for Chemistry and a class medal for Ordinary Natural Philosophy in 1910. He graduated with a BSc in engineering in 1912, and was offered an assistantship by Professor William Peddie, the holder of the Chair of Physics at University College, Dundee from 1907 to 1942.
Watson-Watt had a successful time as a student, winning the Carnelley Prize for Chemistry and a class medal for Ordinary Natural Philosophy in 1910. He graduated with a BSc in engineering in 1912, and was offered an assistantship by Professor William Peddie, the holder of the Chair of Physics at University College, Dundee from 1907 to 1942.
The union speculates that at this time he was involved in campaigning for an improvement in pay for Air Ministry staff. ==Contribution to Second World War== In his English History 1914–1945, the historian A.
At the start of the Great War Watson-Watt was working as an assistant in the college's Engineering Department. ==Early experiments== In 1916 Watson-Watt wanted a job with the War Office, but nothing obvious was available in communications.
A collection of papers relating to Watson-Watt is also held by Archive Services at the University of Dundee. A briefing facility at RAF Boulmer has been named the Watson-Watt auditorium in his honour. ==Family life== Watson-Watt was married on 20 July 1916 in Hammersmith, London to Margaret Robertson (d.
This led to the 1920s development of a system later known as [direction finding] (huff-duff).
In 1924 when the War Department gave notice that they wished to reclaim their Aldershot site, he moved to Ditton Park near Slough, Berkshire.
Watt's new system was being used in 1926 and was the topic of an extensive paper by Watson-Watt and Herd. The Met and NPL radio teams were amalgamated in 1927 to form the Radio Research Station with Watson-Watt as director.
Watt's new system was being used in 1926 and was the topic of an extensive paper by Watson-Watt and Herd. The Met and NPL radio teams were amalgamated in 1927 to form the Radio Research Station with Watson-Watt as director.
Although well publicized at the time, the system's enormous military potential was not developed until the late 1930s.
After a further reorganization in 1933, Watt became Superintendent of the Radio Department of NPL in Teddington. ==RADAR== ===The air defence problem=== During the First World War, the Germans had used Zeppelins as long-range bombers over Britain and defences had struggled to counter the threat.
An alternative solution was urgently needed and, in 1934, the Air Ministry set up a committee, the CSSAD (Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Defence), chaired by Sir Henry Tizard to find ways to improve air defence in the UK. Rumours that Nazi Germany had developed a "death ray" that was capable of destroying towns, cities and people using radio waves, were given attention in January 1935 by Harry Wimperis, Director of Scientific Research at the Air Ministry.
Watson-Watt justified his choice of a non-optimal frequency for his radar, with his oft-quoted cult of the imperfect, which he stated as "Give them the third-best to go on with; the second-best comes too late, [and] the best never comes". ==Civil Service trade union activities== Between 1934 and 1936, Watson-Watt was president of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants, now a part of Prospect, the "union for professionals".
It is estimated that huff-duff was used in about a quarter of all attacks on U-boats. In 1935 Watt was asked to comment on reports of a German death ray based on radio.
This led to a February 1935 demonstration where signals from a BBC short-wave transmitter were bounced off a Handley Page Heyford aircraft.
An alternative solution was urgently needed and, in 1934, the Air Ministry set up a committee, the CSSAD (Committee for the Scientific Survey of Air Defence), chaired by Sir Henry Tizard to find ways to improve air defence in the UK. Rumours that Nazi Germany had developed a "death ray" that was capable of destroying towns, cities and people using radio waves, were given attention in January 1935 by Harry Wimperis, Director of Scientific Research at the Air Ministry.
Wilkins's idea, checked by Watt, was promptly presented by Tizard to the CSSAD on 28 January 1935. ===Aircraft detection and location=== On 12 February 1935, Watson-Watt sent the secret memo of the proposed system to the Air Ministry, Detection and location of aircraft by radio methods.
On 2 April 1935, Watson-Watt received a patent on a radio device for detecting and locating an aircraft. In mid-May 1935, Wilkins left the Radio Research Station with a small party, including Edward George Bowen, to start further research at Orford Ness, an isolated peninsula on the Suffolk coast of the North Sea.
They tested their theories with a flight of the Zeppelin LZ 130 but concluded the stations were a new long-range naval communications system. 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.
Watson-Watt justified his choice of a non-optimal frequency for his radar, with his oft-quoted cult of the imperfect, which he stated as "Give them the third-best to go on with; the second-best comes too late, [and] the best never comes". ==Civil Service trade union activities== Between 1934 and 1936, Watson-Watt was president of the Institution of Professional Civil Servants, now a part of Prospect, the "union for professionals".
Observers watching the maps would then tell the fighters what to do via direct communications. By 1937, the first three stations were ready and the associated system was put to the test.
Watt led the development of a practical version of this device, which entered service in 1938 under the code name Chain Home.
Taylor paid the highest of praise to Watson-Watt, Sir Henry Tizard and their associates who developed radar, crediting them with being fundamental to victory in the Second World War. In July 1938, Watson-Watt left Bawdsey Manor and took up the post of Director of Communications Development (DCD-RAE).
In 1939, Sir George Lee took over the job of DCD and Watson-Watt became Scientific Advisor on Telecommunications (SAT) to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, travelling to the US in 1941 to advise them on the severe inadequacies of their air defence, illustrated by the Pearl Harbor attack.
However, Airborne Interception (AI), was perfected by 1940 and was instrumental in eventually ending the Blitz of 1941.
This system provided the vital advance information that helped the Royal Air Force win the Battle of Britain. After the success of his invention, Watson Watt was sent to the US in 1941 to advise on air defence after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, was given a knighthood in 1942 and was awarded the US Medal for Merit in 1946. ==Early years== Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, on 13 April 1892.
However, Airborne Interception (AI), was perfected by 1940 and was instrumental in eventually ending the Blitz of 1941.
In 1939, Sir George Lee took over the job of DCD and Watson-Watt became Scientific Advisor on Telecommunications (SAT) to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, travelling to the US in 1941 to advise them on the severe inadequacies of their air defence, illustrated by the Pearl Harbor attack.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, was given a knighthood in 1942 and was awarded the US Medal for Merit in 1946. ==Early years== Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, on 13 April 1892.
Watson-Watt had a successful time as a student, winning the Carnelley Prize for Chemistry and a class medal for Ordinary Natural Philosophy in 1910. He graduated with a BSc in engineering in 1912, and was offered an assistantship by Professor William Peddie, the holder of the Chair of Physics at University College, Dundee from 1907 to 1942.
He was knighted by George VI in 1942 and received the US Medal for Merit in 1946. Ten years after his knighthood, Watson-Watt was awarded £50,000 by the UK government for his contributions in the development of radar.
He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, was given a knighthood in 1942 and was awarded the US Medal for Merit in 1946. ==Early years== Watson-Watt was born in Brechin, Angus, Scotland, on 13 April 1892.
He was knighted by George VI in 1942 and received the US Medal for Merit in 1946. Ten years after his knighthood, Watson-Watt was awarded £50,000 by the UK government for his contributions in the development of radar.
In the 1950s, he moved to Canada and later he lived in the US, where he published Three Steps to Victory in 1958.
1988), the daughter of a draughtsman; they later divorced and he remarried in 1952 in Canada.
In 1956, Watson-Watt reportedly was pulled over for speeding in Canada by a radar gun-toting policeman.
In the 1950s, he moved to Canada and later he lived in the US, where he published Three Steps to Victory in 1958.
Around 1958, he appeared as a mystery challenger on the American television programme To Tell The Truth.
He returned to Scotland in the 1960s. In 1966, at the age of 74, he proposed to Dame Katherine Trefusis Forbes, who was 67 years old at the time and 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.
His second wife was Jean Wilkinson, who died in 1964.
He returned to Scotland in the 1960s. In 1966, at the age of 74, he proposed to Dame Katherine Trefusis Forbes, who was 67 years old at the time and 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.
After attending Damacre Primary School and Brechin High School, he was accepted to University College, Dundee (then part of the University of St Andrews but became the University of Dundee in 1967).
They remained together until her death in 1971.
Sir Robert Alexander Watson Watt, KCB, FRS, FRAeS (13 April 1892 – 5 December 1973) was a British pioneer of radio direction finding and radar technology. Watt began his career in radio physics with a job at the Met Office, where he began looking for accurate ways to track thunderstorms using the radio signals given off by lightning.
Watson-Watt died in 1973, aged 81, in Inverness.
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