Leeson House
It was essential that research and development continued apace
during the summer of 1940. The site at Worth Matravers was growing
rapidly but not sufficiently quickly to accommodate the ever-increasing
numbers of scientists and technicians that were being drafted in
during that summer. Two large country houses, Leeson House (an empty
girls' school) just 3 miles away from TRE Worth and Durnford House
(a preparatory school in Worth Matravers) were hastily requisitioned
in September 1940. Both sites were used as laboratories and were
rapidly filled with equipment and personnel and hoards of mice!
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| Leeson
House From the air |
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A.P
Rowe was the Chief Superintendent of TRE and he
believed in the importance of the 'centimetric
radar' but was dubious that such a system could
be developed quickly enough to have any impact
on the war effort. Nevertheless, he gathered a
prominent team together that included some leading
scientists of the day; P.I.Dee, H.W.B.Skinner,
W.B.Lewis, Bernard Lovell, D.W.Fry, John Cockroft
and J.A.Ratcliffe are just some of the people
involved. The work was to continue and some aspects
were remain somewhat 'unnoticed' by officialdom.
Leeson house was very suitable in that respect;
near to TRE Worth but separated.
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laboratory was soon filled with test gear
and experimental circuits concerning AI and
the transmitters and aerial designs that would
permit installation into the cramped space
of an aeroplane.
Whilst
the principles of airborne radar were now
understood, the issues of weight, size and
power supply all still had to be resolved.There
was a spectacular view from Leeson House
across Swanage bay and to the Isle of Wight,
some 40 miles away. This geography was utilised
to test the 9 cm and then the 3 cm radars.
The 9 cm systems adopted by the Navy were
developed here at this stage.
The
staff at Leeson House, only there for 18
months, were moved to Malvern in March 1942
along with all the other TRE personnel.
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