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Inventor: Sir Robert Watson-Watt
Most
Famous Invention:
Radar
Biography:
Born April 13,1892 in Brechim, Angus, Scotland, Bobbie Watt, as he was
then known, went on to lead a prodigious life of service to his country
and indeed to the world.
He received his early education at Damacre
Primary School and Brechin High School where he excelled in his studies,
even though he was known to have a bit of a reputation as a prankster.
He later graduated from the University of
Dundee with an honors degree in engineering. One of his professors,
Dr. William Peddie by name, saw the great promise in the young man and
offered him a position as his assistant, an offer which Robert
immediately accepted.
Robert Watt later applied for and received
a position working for what was then called the War Office, that part of
the British Government which oversaw the British Army. Because there
was no position available working in the field of radio or telegraphy,
Watt accepted a position in the weather dept. where he greatly
distinguished himself.
Because there were rumors abounding that
the Nazi’s had perfected what was being termed a death ray, Watt was
asked to see if he could make an English equivalent. Watt assured them
that in his opinion such a machine was impossible and so it was decided
that if it was impossible for the English it was in all probability
impossible for the Nazi’s also and the rumors of such a machine died.
Watt did however suggest that what was
really needed was some sort of an invention that would detect aircraft
in the air that could not be seen. With this in mind, he went onto do
experimentation and the end result was the invention of what we call
radar.
Because of his great contributions to the
war effort, Watt became knighted in 1942 and became known as Sir Robert
Watson-Watt.
Sir Robert Watson-Watt beside
the original British Radar Apparatus made at
Ditton Park in 1935. This equipment is now in the London Science Museum.
As an older man, Sir Robert loved to tell
the story of how his own invention backfired on him. It seemed that he
was speeding along the highway and was stopped by a police officer who
had clocked his speed with the help of a radar detector. Upon finding
out how the police officer had known his speed so accurately, Sir Robert
had quipped “If I’d known what you’d do with it, I never would have
invented it.”
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