Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section facts for kids
The Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section was a special group created in early 1916 during World War I. It was part of the Ministry of Munitions, which was led by Lloyd George. This group's main job was to find new and better ways to defend against enemy aircraft.
At first, the section was located at Northolt aerodrome. But it moved a few times! In May 1916, it went to the National Physical Laboratory in Teddington. Then, in September 1916, it moved again to HMS Excellent on Whale Island near Portsmouth.
Who Led the Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section?
This important section was led by a scientist named A. V. Hill. He was a physiologist, which means he studied how living things work, especially the human body. Before joining this group, he was a Captain in the army.
In January 1916, while he was recovering from the flu, a man named Horace Darwin asked him to help with anti-aircraft defenses. Hill agreed and started gathering people for his new team. They even got a nickname: "Hill's Brigands"!
Early Ideas for Tracking Airplanes
Before the Anti-Aircraft Experimental Section was formed, people were already thinking about how to track things in the air. Horace Darwin's brother, Leonard Darwin, was an officer in the Royal Engineers. Back in the 1880s, he came up with a way to figure out exactly where a military balloon was located. He used a system called Cartesian co-ordinates, which helps pinpoint a spot using X, Y, and Z measurements.
