Royal Radar Establishment facts for kids
The Royal Radar Establishment (RRE) was a special place in Malvern, Worcestershire, United Kingdom, where scientists and engineers did important research. It started in 1953 as the Radar Research Establishment. This happened when two groups joined together: the Air Ministry's Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) and the British Army's Radar Research and Development Establishment (RRDE).
In 1957, Queen Elizabeth II visited, and the name was changed to the Royal Radar Establishment. Both names were often shortened to RRE. Later, in 1976, another group called the Signals Research and Development Establishment (SRDE), which worked on communications, joined the RRE. Together, they became the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE).
These research groups had worked closely even before World War II. They started in Bawdsey Manor in Suffolk. Because Bawdsey was too exposed to attacks during the war, both groups moved several times. They finally settled in Malvern in May 1942, but in different locations. When they merged in 1953 to form the RRE, these locations became known as the North Site (RRDE) and South Site (TRE).
The RRE didn't just work on radar. They also explored new areas like solid state physics (how materials behave), electronics, and computer hardware and software. They even looked into cryogenics (working with very cold temperatures). A big part of their defense work was developing infrared detection for guided missiles and heat-sensing devices. When SRDE joined, they brought knowledge about satellite communications and fibre optics.
In 1991, the RRE became part of a larger defense research group, which later became the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in 1996. The North Site closed in 2003, and all the work moved to the South Site. The old North Site was then sold for building homes. Today, a company called Qinetiq uses part of the former RSRE site.
Contents
How it Started and Changed Names
The UK began seriously developing radar in 1935. A scientist named Robert Watson-Watt was asked about "death rays" using radio. He said those were not possible, but using radio to detect things was. After a simple test, a first radar system was built at Orfordness. Watt found Bawdsey Manor, a large unused building, and it became the first radar research center in the country in 1936.
Soon, the British Army heard about this work and started their own group to develop radar for ground uses. Their first project was a system to measure distance for anti-aircraft artillery. They also worked on radars for coastal defense and the proximity fuse, which made bombs explode near their targets.
When World War II started in 1939, Bawdsey was too close to the coast and unsafe. The Air Ministry team quickly moved to Dundee, Scotland, becoming the Air Ministry Research Establishment (AMRE). The Army group moved to Christchurch, Dorset, becoming the Air Defence Experimental Establishment (ADEE). Dundee was too small, so in May 1940, they moved again to Worth Matravers on the south coast, changing their name to the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE).
They worried this new location was also too exposed. When they heard German paratroopers were in France, they decided to move again. The ADEE, now called the Air Defence Research and Development (ADRDE), moved to Malvern in May 1942. This led to another name change, becoming the RRDE. The TRE followed soon after, settling in buildings near Malvern College.
Over the years, the RRE changed which government department it belonged to. It started under the Ministry of Supply, then moved to the Ministry of Aviation in 1959. After that, it was part of the Ministry of Technology, then the Ministry of Aviation Supply, and finally the Ministry of Defence in 1971. In 1976, the RRE joined with the Signals Research and Development Establishment (SRDE) to form the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE).
Later, in 1991, RSRE became part of the Defence Research Agency (DRA). In 1995, the DRA was absorbed into the DERA. DERA then split in 2001 into two parts: a government group called Dstl and a private company called QinetiQ.
Amazing Discoveries and People
The RRE had different technical groups, like airborne radar, ground radar, guided weapons, and physics. Many talented scientists worked there, making big contributions.
Physics Division Highlights
The Physics Division at RRE had about 150 staff members. They focused on solid state physics, which was important for developing new electronics and infrared detectors.
- Robert Allan Smith (known as R.A. or Robin) led the Physics Division. He wrote important books about detecting infrared radiation and semiconductors. He later became a professor and worked at MIT.
- George G. Macfarlane worked on theoretical physics and helped design the Royal Radar Establishment Automatic Computer. He later became the Director of RRE and was knighted for his work.
- Tom Elliott invented the SPRITE infrared detector, which was a major step forward in heat-sensing technology. He also helped develop cadmium mercury telluride, an important material for electronics. A conference center at the site is named after him.
- Cyril Hilsum worked on liquid crystals. His team, with others from the University of Hull, developed new, stable liquid crystals in 1972. These were a huge success and became the basis for display devices in electronics, like the screens we see today. This work earned a Queen's Award for Technological Achievement in 1979 and brought in over £100 million in royalties!
- Edward G. S. Paige worked on Surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices, which are used in many electronic systems. His team won an award for their work.
- Philip Woodward was a pioneer in using probability to filter radar signals. He developed the Woodward Ambiguity Function, which is still a key tool for analyzing radar. He also led the team that created the Coral 66 computer programming language. A building at the site is named in his honor.
Other important scientists in the Physics Division included:
- William Bardsley, who worked on growing crystals for semiconductors.
- J. B. Gunn, who later discovered the Gunn effect, used in electronic devices.
- Dennis Sciama, who later became a famous cosmologist.
In 1956, R.A. Smith shared a full report on RRE's physics contributions with the Royal Society.
Radar, Guided Weapons, and Engineering
These divisions were very important for defense. They worked closely with companies to develop and produce new technologies. For example, they worked with Plessey and Decca on radar parts and with Mullard on precision bombing systems.
In 1962, George Macfarlane reorganized the technical departments. They focused on military and civil systems, including ground radar, air traffic control, guided weapons, and airborne radar. Even though the focus shifted to guided weapons, RRE continued to research radar for strike aircraft.
A small team from RRE, including I. F. Currie, Susan G. Bond, and J. D. Morrison, created the first working version of a complex computer programming language called ALGOL 68 in 1970. This was a big achievement because the language was very difficult to implement.
Important staff in these divisions included:
- G.W.A (Geoffrey) Dummer, an electronics engineer who oversaw many electronics projects and wrote over 30 books on the subject. He received several awards for his work.
- W. H. (Bill) Penley, who was Head of Guided Weapons and later became Director of RRE.
- John Robert Mills, who worked on radar and infrared targeting systems. He later became Deputy Director of RSRE.
More than 50 books were written by staff members of the establishment over the years.
In 1968, the government made sure that the results of RRE's research on infrared detectors were shared with British industry.
A former member of the RRE, Martin Woodhouse, later became a well-known novelist.
Locations
- North Site: 52°08′03″N 2°20′06″W / 52.13414°N 2.33509°W
- South Site: 52°06′00″N 2°18′58″W / 52.100°N 2.316°W
Images for kids
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Demonstration digital clock using Cyanobiphenyl liquid crystals made at RRE in 1973
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Gloster Meteor NF.11 fitted with modified radar nose during trials work when allocated to the RRE during 1976.
