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Arnold "Skip" Wilkins is one of the unsung heroes of the British
effort to develop radar. The Birth of British Radar book combines
the memoirs of Skip with an authoritative overview of the historical
importance of his work.
At the core of The Birth of British
Radar are Skip's memoirs of his involvement in the British radar
(or, as it was then known, radio direction finding, RDF) programme
from its very inception in 1935. Working under the direction of
Robert Watson-Watt, it was he who proposed using radio waves,
bounced back from an enemy aircraft, to detect its position.
Initially working entirely alone, he constructed prototype equipment
which he used in the famous Daventry experiment conducted in a field
near Weedon, Northants, on 26 February 1935. The success of this led
to the establishment of the R&D group at Bawdsey Manor with its team
of talented scientists, engineers and technicians. From there he
describes the engineering and political developments which occurred
to change faint traces into a fully working system which played such
a crucial role in defending Britain in the Second World War.
This second edition of The Birth of British Radar has been greatly
expanded from the original memoirs with a large array of additional
material and colour photographs. Each chapter of the memoirs is set
in a historical context with an explanatory note. There is a host of
extra material including an interview with Skip, details of how
radar grew, post war commemorations and much more. The Birth of
British Radar contains mono and colour photos along with details of
Skip's post war experiences. The story of this publicity-shy
individual, who never sought public recognition for his achievement,
is fascinating. This book describes the struggles and triumphs from
the earliest days of radar, in perhaps one of the most important
periods in British electronics development, and is highly
recommended.
Size 174x240mm, 128 pages ISBN: 9781 9050 8675
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Prices:
• DEHS
member: £11.69 plus postage & packing
• Non-member: £12.99, plus
postage & packing
Copies may be purchased:
• Online from the RSGB website
here
•
By mail from:
RSGB, 3 Abbey Court, Priory Business Park, Fraser
Road, Bedford MK44 3WH
[2nd Class Post: £1.95 one item / £3.50
for two or more items / Free for orders over £30 or 1st Class Post:
£2.95 for one item / £4.95 for two items / £5.95 for three or more
items.] Cheques should be made out to “Radio Society of Great
Britain”
• By telephone for credit card orders on 01234 832700
Last order date for pre-Christmas Delivery is 20th December (UK
only)
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