Sir Robert Watson-Watt (1892-1973)

Robert Watson-Watt

So, who was Robert Watson-Watt?

Have you heard of RADAR?

Robert Watson-Watt was born on 13th April 1892 at Brechin, Scotland. He went to school in Brechin; firstly Damacre School and then Brechin High School. From there he entered University College, Dundee, which was then a part of St Andrew's University. Watson -Watt obtained his degree of B.S.c.(Eng) in 1912 and then went as an assistant to Sir William Peddie at St Andrew's.

Robert Watson-Watt was employed as a meteorologist at the Royal Aircraft Factory at Farnborough in 1915 with the brief to produce equipment that could detect thunderstorms, so that airmen could receive advance warnings. He had the idea in 1916 of using cathode ray oscilloscopes to do this, but this did not come to fruition until 1923.

In 1927, Watson-Watt was made superintendent of the National Physics Laboratory at Slough and in 1933 was made superintendent of a radio department housed in Teddington. One of his projects, started in 1934 was to find out where radio crackle came from.

What sort of things led to further investigations?

Hitler had just come to power in Nazi Germany and claimed to have a "death ray", which used radio waves said to be capable of destroying towns, cities and people. As an employee of the British Government, Robert was asked to develop a response to this threat in the form of a ray that could destroy German aircraft on their way to attack Britain.

What was the result of this?

He knew such a thing was not possible, but believed he could develop a machine that was able to detect aircraft in flight, before it was visible. He called this radar (Radio Detection and Ranging) as it used radio waves.

Given government money and a team to help him continue his work Robert moved to Daventry in Leicestershire, where, in 1935, he trialled his invention using a BBC shortwave radio transmitter to successfully detect the distance and direction of a flying Heyford Bomber. The distance was short, only twenty seven kilometres, but it was a beginning. With a more powerful transmitter, the improved radar enabled them to track a flying aeroplane at a distance of 120 kilometres.

This resulted in the establishment of radar stations at various points along Britain's south coast to allow a watch to be kept for enemy aircraft in the event of war with Germany. These were to prove to be invaluable when war broke out in September 1939.

Was RADAR used anywhere else?

British fighter aircraft and bombers were soon fitted with radar sets as were patrol vessels and other ships.

Robert Watson-Watt's invention helped the Royal Air Force win the Battle of Britain, in 1940.

Robert Watson-Watt was knighted in 1942.

He died at Inverness, Scotland on 5th December 1973, leaving as his legacy one of the most accurate electronic machines the world has known.