A Scientist’s War: The diary of Sir Clifford Paterson 1939-45

PBHT014E * 9780863412189

Sir Clifford Paterson, OBE FRS, was Director of the GEC Research
Laboratories at Wembley from their foundation in 1919 until his
death in 1948. This book contains the daily diary which he kept
from the beginning of September 1939 until May 1945. These were the
years of the Second World War, and Paterson records work in the
Laboratories and his own wider role in the planning and
organisation of the scientific war effort, against the background
of the progress of the war, on one hand, and on the other, the
personal problems of members of his staff. There are also
references to the administration and housekeeping which were
necessary for the smooth running of the Laboratories. There are
accounts of visits from, and discussions with Ministers, senior
Service officers, and officials in government departments and
research establishments. There are comments on the contributions
that such people were making and, on occasion, references to the
delaying effects of some rivalries and bureaucracy. Paterson
expresses opinions on the proper roles of government, the
universities, and industry in both war and peace. The diary
outlines the progress and frustrations on the wide variety of
projects undertaken by the Laboratories, including the development
of the cavity magnetron, airborne radar, radio countermeasures,
centimetre wave propagation, visibility of and from aircraft, and
many others, as well as support for the industrial war effort
through, for example, development of diamond dies and a statistical
approach to quality control. A recurring theme is the development
and production in the Laboratories of more than 300,000 thermionic
valves of 45 new types. The diary is supplemented by an
introduction, a chronology of world events, a number of appendices,
and explanatory footnotes to many entries. The diary is an
important historical document and will be of great interest to
political and social historians, as well as those interested in the
history of science.

Authors

Robert Clayton and Joan Algar