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Research, and continued to lead the
Coastal Defence (CD) research activity. The primary use of the evolving CD system was in aiming searchlights associated with the anti-aircraft guns, and Butement acquired the nickname of 'Mr. Searchlight Radar.' He also developed what became the standard method of determining miss-distance of gunfire against shipping by using RDF echoes from splashes caused by shells hitting the sea.
41:
250:. He and an associate, P. E. Pollard, conceived a radio apparatus for the detection of ships. A breadboard test unit, operating at 50 cm (600 MHz) and using pulsed modulation, gave successful laboratory results, but was not of interest to War Office officials. Nevertheless, in January 1931, a writeup on the apparatus was entered in the
382:(ADRDE) in mid-1941. Applications of the CD system and the work of Butement were even more important as microwave devices were added. Germany began bomber attacks on the British mainland, and it was decided that radar research and development activities would be moved further inland. In May 1942, the ADRDE was transferred to
281:(CD) RDF system to be used for aiming anti-shipping and anti-aircraft guns. By early 1938, he had a prototype under test. This used a pulsed 1.5 m (200 MHz) transmitter producing 50 kW power, (later increased to 150 kW). For the transmitting and receiving antennas, he developed a large
301:
There was an urgent need to improve the effectiveness of the anti-aircraft guns. With his background in radio, in
October 1939 Butement turned to this technology as a potential solution. He conceived of a highly compact RDF set placed on the projectile, setting off the detonation when close proximity
297:
In
September 1939, at the start of the war, operations at Bawdsey were distributed to safer locations. The Army Cell joined the Air Defence Experimental Establishment (ADEE) at Christchurch in Dorset on the south coast. At the time of the move, Butement was named an Assistant Director of Scientific
273:
Research Centre (on the North Sea coast) and had already begun plans for deployment of the CH system. Referred to as Range and
Direction Finding (RDF), Bawdsey had by this time begun branching out, forming teams to design and build all sorts of radar related devices. An Army Cell from the SEE was
433:
Under
Butement, the WRE established working facilities and conditions highly suited for scientific research. Hundreds of university graduates were recruited and sent to Great Britain for research training. While by this time Butement was primarily a research administrator rather than a hands-on
305:
The demands on personnel and funds at the start of the war were such that little more was done at that time. In less than a year, however, (in
September 1940), Butement's concept was moved dramatically toward mass production when it was exported under the technology transfer arrangements of the
421:
In April 1949, Butement took a new position as the first Chief
Scientist in the Defence Scientific Service of the Australian Department of Supply and Development. His responsibilities encompassed laboratories for high-speed aerodynamics, propulsion, and electronics, all closely linked with the
389:
In 1943, Butement, then
Assistant Director of Scientific Research with the Ministry of Supply, invented and supervised the development of a secure radio-based method of battlefield communication using narrow beams of pulsed microwave signals, to replace the traditional telephone cable. Using a
390:
10 cm (3 GHz) transmitter and receiver developed for radar, the
Wireless Station No. 10 evolved. Called one of the electronic wonders of WWII, this was the first multi-channel, microwave communication system in Great Britain. It first went operational in July 1944, just after
293:
Primary credit for introducing beamed RDF systems in Great
Britain must be given to Butement. As a part of this development, he formulated the first – at least in Great Britain – mathematical relationship that later became well known as the "radar range equation".
302:
to the target was attained. He completed the circuit design, but there was the problem of packaging such a device in a small projectile, as well as the question of the vacuum tubes surviving the acceleration forces at firing.
339:
As the war got under way, it was realised that the Chain Home (CH) system needed an additional ability to detect low-flying aircraft. The CD RDF was ideal for this function, and was soon added at most CH stations as the
285:
array, 10 feet high and 24 feet wide, giving narrow transmitting and receiving beams. This array could be rotated at a speed around 1.5 revolutions per minute. To improve the directional accuracy,
472:, was later selected, and Butement was a member of the board that managed the construction of this site, and was also a member of the test safety committee preparing for detonations there in 1956 and 1957.
202:, New Zealand, the son of New Zealand-born William Butement, physician and surgeon, and his English-born wife Amy Louise Stewart. When Alan was age eight, the family moved to Sydney, where he started at
336:, where the battle losses were so severe that it led to the Japanese adoption of the kamikaze. Years later, Butement said that he considered the proximity fuse as his most significant accomplishment.
375:, and development of microwave radars was started on both sides of the Atlantic. (The Tizard Mission also brought back to Great Britain the name 'radar' – adopted as a cover by the US Navy in 1940.)
468:
in South Australia as suitable sites, and was one of three observers representing the Australian Government at atomic tests on these sites in 1952 and 1953, respectively. Another mainland site, at
483:
402:
After the War, the British and Australian governments established a joint project on research and development of guided missiles. The project included laboratory and workshop facilities at
434:
scientist, he did personally initiate several highly important developments, including a rocket engine that used a semi-solid paste pressed into the firing chamber as propellant, and the
801:
811:
379:
190:, served as the first chief scientist for the Australian Defence Scientific Service, then ended his professional career with a research position in private business.
475:
Butement resigned his position with the WRE in 1966, to become, for a five-year term, Director of Research for Plessey Pacific Pty Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of
482:
In 1969 Butement wrote a paper to the Australian Industrial Research Group, advocating the formation of an Australian academy of applied science. From this, the
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174:
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was formed in 1975. Butement, a member of both the steering committee and the council of the new academy, was appointed an honorary fellow in 1979.
345:
418:, he was eligible to hold official positions in Australia, and, shortly after arriving, he was appointed Chief Superintendent of the project.
254:
maintained by the Royal Engineers. This is the first official record in Great Britain of the technology that would eventually become radar.
505:. Survived by his wife Ursula Florence Alberta Parish and two daughters Ann and Jane, he died on 25 January 1990, at Richmond, Melbourne.
687:
239:
791:
278:
661:
449:. In this, he personally submitted a thesis describing his principal contributions to defence technologies and was awarded the
318:. In the later stages of the war, anti-aircraft shells fitted with proximity fuses played a major part in defeating both German
178:(18 August 1904 – 25 January 1990) was a New Zealand-born British-Australian defence scientist and public servant. A native of
771:
525:
423:
806:
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in 1926. He followed this as a research student for two years. He married Ursula Florence Alberta Parish on 17 June 1933.
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Anglo-Australian joint project. In 1955, all of these activities, including the joint project, were merged to form the
776:
515:
529:
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403:
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737:
414:. Butement was selected as Deputy-Chief Scientist of the project and moved to Australia in early 1947. As a
383:
55:
442:
438:, an anti-tank guided weapon that was adopted as standard equipment by the Australian and British armies.
219:
748:
79:
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VK3AD) and an adept carpenter, metalworker, and mechanic. He was a committed Christian, adhering to the
360:
786:
781:
215:
394:, and served as the central communications backbone for the British march across Europe to victory.
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After retirement from Plessey in 1972, Butement remained in Melbourne where he was an enthusiastic
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678:
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attacks on Allied shipping. As well as the dramatic breaking of Japanese Naval air power in the
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450:
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17:
649:
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The Butement Laboratory of the High Frequency Radar Division at the Department of Defence's
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Butement encouraged the WRE to establish working links with scientists and engineers at the
364:
457:
435:
415:
319:
207:
310:, and subsequently a variation of his circuit became adopted in the United States as the
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attached to the Bawdsey operation. Butement was among those representing the War Office.
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307:
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Anon.; "Multi-Channel Pulse Modulation: details of the Army Wireless Station No.10",
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Megaw, Eric C. S.; "The High-Power Magnetron: A Review of Early Developments,”
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frequencies. In the autumn of 1940, the device was brought to America by the
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344:(CHL). For making the necessary adaptations, Butement led the effort at the
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in the outback of South Australia is named "Butement Square" in his honour.
332:, it immortalised the invention's impact with the battle's alternate name:
40:
324:
243:
476:
411:
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246:, London, as a Scientific Officer, developing radio equipment for the
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Butement, W. A. S., and P. E. Pollard; "Coastal Defence Apparatus",
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183:
691:, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University
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Dr. W. A. S. Butement: the First Chief Scientist for Defence
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Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
521:
In 1959 he was promoted to Commander of the Order (CBE).
712:, Bib ID 1492798, Australian Govt. Pub. Service, 1991
206:. After a year, the family moved again, this time to
719:, Defence Science and Technology Organisation, 1995.
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He had a leading role in Great Britain's testing of
514:In 1946 Butement was honoured as an Officer of the
460:in Australia. He led the party that identified the
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118:
94:
89:
73:
54:
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380:Air Defence Research and Development Establishment
316:the most-manufactured electronic device of the war
277:At Bawdsey, Butement was assigned to develop a
636:A History of British Atomic Tests in Australia
582:Butement, W. A. S., et al; "Precision Radar,"
802:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
8:
696:Technical History of the Beginnings of Radar
558:Inventions Book of the Royal Engineers Board
479:, a major British electronics manufacturer.
812:New Zealand emigrants to the United Kingdom
722:
683:Butement, William Alan Stewart (1904–1990)
599:, Inst. of Physics Publishing, 1999, p. 60
39:
28:
717:A History of Defence Science in Australia
406:, and a rocket test range at a new town,
573:, Peter Peregrinus, Ltd, 1986, pp. 71–74
571:tech. History of the Beginnings of Radar
214:and then studied at University College,
586:, vol. 73, part IIIA, 1946, pp. 114–126
549:
535:The main village square in the town of
346:Air Defence Experimental Establishment
182:, he made extensive contributions to
7:
386:, where it remained for many years.
290:was used in the transmitting array.
269:(CH). By 1936 they had moved to the
186:development in Great Britain during
154:
797:Alumni of University College London
688:Australian Dictionary of Biography
240:Signals Experimental Establishment
25:
662:State Library of South Australia
367:, allowing signal-generation at
322:attacks on London, and Japanese
265:began work on what would become
218:, where he attended lectures by
597:A Radar History of World War II
426:(WRE) reporting to Butement in
378:The ADEE was reformed into the
334:The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot
222:and received the BSc degree in
150:
140:Ursula Florence Alberta Parish
45:Ursula and Alan Butement (1971)
526:Weapons Research Establishment
424:Weapons Research Establishment
1:
698:, Peter Peregrinus, Ltd, 1986
234:In 1928, Butement joined the
230:Achievements in Great Britain
210:, England. He graduated from
171:William Alan Stewart Butement
99:William Alan Stewart Butement
18:William Alan Stewart Butement
612:, vol. 93, 1948, pp. 977–984
330:Battle of the Philippine Sea
314:or VT (variable-time) fuse,
705:, Trafford Publishing, 2009
703:Radar Development Worldwide
516:Order of the British Empire
828:
530:Salisbury, South Australia
470:Maralinga, South Australia
404:Salisbury, South Australia
198:Alan Butement was born at
745:
735:
730:
725:
648:Zajicek, Lubomir (1968).
499:Catholic Apostolic Church
464:in Western Australia and
447:Adelaide, South Australia
398:Achievements in Australia
212:University College School
164:
85:
62:
50:
38:
792:Chief Defence Scientists
701:Watson, Raymond C. Jr.;
625:, June 1946, pp. 187–192
532:was named in his honour.
453:(D.Sc.) degree in 1961.
261:'s team working for the
738:Chief Defence Scientist
650:"War Memorial, Woomera"
384:Malvern, Worcestershire
56:Chief Defence Scientist
638:, AGPS, Canberra, 1985
584:J. Inst. Elect. Engrs.
443:University of Adelaide
220:Edward Victor Appleton
772:Australian scientists
361:Birmingham University
807:Amateur radio people
410:, in the Australian
216:University of London
726:Government offices
462:Monte Bello Islands
363:built a high-power
777:British scientists
673:General references
610:Journal of the IEE
351:In February 1940,
259:Robert Watson Watt
129:Richmond, Victoria
755:
754:
746:Succeeded by
708:Williams, Betty;
451:Doctor of Science
257:In October 1936,
204:The Scots College
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33:W. A. S. Butement
16:(Redirected from
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493:(ham) operator (
365:cavity magnetron
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90:Personal details
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694:Swords, S. S.;
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569:Swords, S. S.;
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544:Reference notes
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503:Anglican Church
458:nuclear weapons
436:Malkara missile
416:British subject
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320:V-1 flying bomb
279:Coastal Defence
252:Inventions Book
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122:25 January 1990
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767:Radar pioneers
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715:Wisdom, John;
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652:. PRG 1720/1/1
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623:Wireless World
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595:Brown, Louis;
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510:
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501:and later the
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373:Tizard Mission
342:Chain-Home Low
312:proximity fuse
308:Tizard Mission
288:lobe-switching
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126:(aged 85)
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491:amateur radio
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749:Arthur Wills
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660:– via
654:. Retrieved
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263:Air Ministry
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248:British Army
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188:World War II
170:
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124:(1990-01-25)
80:Arthur Wills
75:Succeeded by
64:
58:of Australia
26:
787:1990 deaths
782:1904 births
656:13 February
560:, Jan. 1931
509:Recognition
180:New Zealand
761:Categories
743:1949–1967
679:Home, R. W
353:Harry Boot
267:Chain Home
236:War Office
194:Early life
105:1904-08-18
732:New title
495:call sign
466:Emu Field
428:Melbourne
369:microwave
242:(SEE) at
200:Masterton
112:Masterton
69:1949–1967
65:In office
348:(ADEE).
325:kamikaze
244:Woolwich
537:Woomera
477:Plessey
412:Outback
408:Woomera
224:physics
159:
147:
143:
518:(OBE).
283:dipole
208:London
153:
135:Spouse
445:, in
392:D-Day
184:radar
157:)
149:(
145:
658:2020
355:and
155:1933
119:Died
95:Born
685:",
681:. "
528:in
359:at
238:'s
175:CBE
763::
430:.
151:m.
664:.
107:)
103:(
20:)
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