Watson-Watt, Robert
NICKNAME/ALIAS: Born Watson Watt (no hyphen), Sir Robert
DATE OF BIRTH: 13th April 1892
PLACE OF BIRTH: Brechin, Angus, Scotland
DATE OF DEATH: 5th December 1973
PLACE OF DEATH: Inverness, Scotland
DISCIPLINE: Physics
FIELD: Radar
ASSESSMENT: Although a German experiment slightly anticipated his radar work, he is credited with developing the first operational radar
LANGUAGE: English.
EDUCATION: Brechin High School; University College, Dundee
ACHIEVEMENTS: Developed first operational radar
MAJOR WORK: “The Detection of Aircraft by Radio Methods” (1935)
LIFE AND TIMES:
Watson-Watt was a descendant of James Watt*. At university he graduated with distinction in electrical engineering in 1912 and became assistant professor of physics. In 1915 he began work as a meteorologist at the Royal Aircraft Factory in Farnborough, and began development of a method for warning air crew of the location of thunderstorms. By 1916 his idea was to use the Air Force’s new radio direction-finding techniques, married to Braun*s cathode-ray oscilloscope, to provide a visual signal of the storm by providing two or more cross-bearings on the electrical discharge of a storm.
By 1927 the first Cathode Ray Direction Finder (CRDF) systems were being installed. During this work he coined the term ‘ionosphere.’ The same year Watson Watt was made Superintendent of the newly-formed Radio Research Station at Slough, near London.
By 1933, with a worsening international situation, the British government asked Watson Watt to look at the possibility of developing a ‘death ray,’ that would use radio waves to heat up enemy bombers and either incapacitate the crew or cause the airplane to explode. He quickly showed the concept was impractical but in a 1935 secret paper: “The Detection of Aircraft by Radio Methods” he referred to recent work which had shown that radio signals were affected by the presence of aircraft, and suggested that this might prove to be a means of detecting bombers.
The first trial took place using a BBC short-wave transmitter (at Daventry) and a receiver aboard a Heyford bomber. The trial was successful and on September 1st 1936 Watson Watt became Head of Bawdsey Research Station, near Felixstowe, where the first system for Radio Direction and Ranging, aka radar* was developed. By 1938 the first chain of CH (chain, home) radar stations was operating on the English East Coast, well in time for the 1940 Battle of Britain. Without the early warning of incoming bombers thanks to Watson Watts’ work, the Battle (and then the War) might well have been lost.
By 1940 Watson Watt was scientific adviser on communications to the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Aircraft Production. In 1941 he was elected to the Royal Society and in 1942 was knighted (and hyphenated his name to Watson-Watt).
At the end of World War II he set up an industrial consultant firm, Watson-Watt & Partners. Later he moved for a few years to Canada but then returned to Britain.
He became active as a delegate to international radio and civil aviation conferences.
He was awarded the US Presidential Medal for Merit as well as honorary degrees from St Andrew’s, Toronto and Laval universities.
Between 1958 and 1960 he was a participant in the Pugwash Conferences.
EXTRA CONNECTIONS: None
ONELINER: Robert Watson-Watt, radar pioneer
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
DNB
PARENTS: Father, Patrick Watson Watt, mother, Mary Small Matthew.
SPOUSE: First, Margaret Robertson, second, Jean Wilkinson, third Air Chief Commandant Dame Katherine Jane Trefusis Forbes.