Radar Recollections - A Bournemouth University / CHiDE / HLF project

 
 
 

Work at Bawdsey Manor - More about Orfordness

The 9 months that the Slough Radar group spent at Orfordness in 1935 had been very productive. During this brief period, Bowen and his colleagues managed to push the transmitter output power up from 25 kW to a massive 200 kW.

The team of Wilkins (group leader), Bowen and Watson Watt forged ahead with the research whilst Bainbrige-Bell (a very talented circuit designer) was sent back to Slough, as he did not fit in well with the rest of the team.

The lofty Tizard committee made a visit on the Saturday 15th June. Although they were satisfied with progress, there were no aircraft echoes to be found. On the Monday however, a flying boat from Felixstowe was tracked all the way back to it's base. From this moment it may be said that there was no turning back. The theory was now being turned into practice.

The power and range of the Transmitters grew steadily during this period:

 
DATE DETECTION RANGE POWER OUTPUT
June 17th 1935 17 miles 25kW
September 40 miles  
December 80 miles  
February 100+ miles 200kW
 

Winston Churchill (as a member of the Imperial Defence Committee) had insisted that his old friend Lindemann (the champion of acoustic defence) be added to the Tizard Committee. He was antagonistic towards the work of the radar group. In a very short time this pioneering committee had to be dissolved.

Life at Orfordness was made somewhat more agreeable by the kindness and friendly nature of the locals from the pretty village of Orford itself. Wally Green was custodian of Orford Castle and S.Harper was the convivial landlord of the Jolly Sailor pub and the local Doctor had the grand name of Horatio Nelson Baron!

 
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