RADIO LOCATOR

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIX, Issue 21993, 19 June 1941, Page 5

RADIO LOCATOR

War’s Best Kept Secret

Science Aids Defence Of Britain 3y Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (11.50 p.m.) LONDON, June 17. Air Marshal Sir Philip Joubert told the Australian Associated press that it was virtually impossible for a raider to approach Britain without our knowing it. This was owing to the war’s best kept secret, one of the most important developments of our war organisation, namely, radio location. Australia and New Zealand were already manufacturing its equipment and training personnel for its maintenance and repair. It was no new science but the application to war of known scientific facts. The man first applying these facts to the detection of ’planes, was Professor R. A. Watson. He developed the system from meteorological methods.

Radio location was born in March, 1935, and a team of brilliant scientists worked on it most secretly until the middle of 1939. Radio location emerged as a system of sending out electric or ether waves far beyond our shores. Any solid object in the path of the waves, whether ship or plane, sends back a reflection to us. The system is not affected by fog, cloud, or darkness and keeps up a watch for 24 hours every day. Sir Philip Joubert continued: “Radio location eliminates the necessity for continuous patrols of fighters, ..ms saving petrol, wear and tear on engines and obviating strain on personnel. It is also used by the Navy and army, but science and maufacture have outstripped the personnel. Scientists are constantly evolving improvements. The cleverest radio manufacturers have brought in ail their resources and are producing radio locators by mass production. We have mobilised every available qualified radio mechanic and have extensively used women but we need immediately for these services 10,000 men and 46,000 women. Ultimately we will need about twice that number.” Sir Philip Joubert, answering a question, said the scientific facts which are the origin of radio location are known throughout the world, therefore it could be supposed that the Germans had not lagged behind in its application, but there was no positive evidence of this. There was proportionately no increase in our losses over Germany. Our losses were mainly owing to anti-aircraft defences. There was no evidence hat they can »be ascribed to radio location. The Australian Associated Press learns that millions have been spent on the radio locator, but the entire cost has already been saved. Its future potentialities are almost unlimited. When radio location is fully applied, there need never be another shipwreck and air travel will be made safer.

Results have proved so satisfactory that every important centre in Britain is to be equipped with the apparatus. Preliminary experiments were made with the apparatus four years before the war, and plant was in existence when the war broke out. It was adopted by the Royal Air Force, which made extensive developments to the apparatus, and the organisation of radio location now covers the whole of the country. Progress in research designed to defeat the night bomber was described by the Lord Privy Seal (Mr C..R. Attlee) in answer to a question in the House of Commons. “Thanks to the brilliant work of our scientists,” he said, “great progress has been made in providing a means of helping our fighting services in the task of locating and destroying the enemy. This contributed, in no small measure, to our victory in the Battle of Britain last autumn, and there have since been developments of high promise in many directions. “Our industries are now turning out increasing quantities of ingenious apparatus which, for maintenance and repair, demands a large number of skilled men, especially radio mechanics. Training in this work is being given by the fighting services and the Dominions and other parts of the Empire are also helping us. Canada, in particular, is organising powerful aid. Our need for these craftsmen,” Mr Attlee said, “is increasing rapidly, and we want more and more of them.” Air Co-operation Work

Replying to a question in the House the Secretary of State for War (Captain D. Margesson) said that for the last 18 months there had been a section at the War Office whose sole task was co-operation with the Air Ministry on all aspects of air support for the Army. „ ~ Replying to another question, the Secretary of State for Air (Sir Archibald Sinclair) said: “Progress in the Air Training Corps continues to give complete satisfaction. There are now 1346 units with a total strength of 190,000 cadets. More than 50,000 candidates for commissions have been accepted for service with the corps, and some 740 units have been affiliated to the Royal Air Force stations.