dismissed them, recording that it was just the kind of ‘dreadful happening’
which often arises from a new device, and placed the blame squarely on
non-expert handling at TRE Swanage. Even so, Megaw was charged with
re-examining the performance of the device—concluding that its discontinuities were small—before being dispatched to Swanage to pour ‘oil on the
waters’. By the end of the month however, Paterson was firmly of the opinion
that; ‘The real trouble is that when we sent our first raw sample of 10 cm
magnetron to Swanage, they chose to regard it as a thoroughly investigated
and established valve, instead of an article whose main development lay ahead
of it’. By early February, Paterson felt the need to bring concerned parties to
Wembley to re-assure them of progress, and Air Commodore Leedham was
‘lunched’ and then shown around the Laboratories by both Paterson and
Robert. However, the general feeling of ‘cold feet’ at Westminster and elsewhere was not improved when news arrived from the USA that Bell Labs had
improved the efficiency of Wembley’s magnetron from 10 to 50% and
achieved an increase in power of some 300–400%! When actual samples of
these valves arrived from the USA in early February—by ‘The Ferry’—
Megaw immediately tested them and established that they were ‘just the same
as ours’. With this evidence, and reports now coming in that consistent
service was being achieved from the magnetrons, Paterson observed; ‘I fancy
the cold feet have been warming up somewhat … [although] … Swanage are
too self-satisfied to learn the lesson’. Even so, as the months passed and little
was now heard of the alleged vagaries, Bell Labs still claimed 40–60% efficiencies for their devices, (‘a complete enigma …’ according to Paterson)
whilst difficulties with Swanage rumbled on causing Paterson to consider
charges of ‘amateur irresponsibility’ against them and remarking ‘ … what a
lot of trouble these people cause by doing things the wrong way.’ At this time,
staff at Wembley increased their visits to various establishments, catching up
on the ‘uniformed’ use of these valves before it was too late. But there is little
doubt that all these ‘wranglings’ also contributed to the delay in the eventual
deployment of the device.
By late February, more and more members of the families of the staff chose
to join in the valve-making at Wembley, Mrs. Megaw and Miss Dudding
being mentioned in particular. This it seems was in response to the difficulty
of keeping a ‘stable staff of girls’ for valve-making, Paterson denouncing them
(or their parents) as ‘giving no consideration to the importance of sticking to
their jobs in the national interest’. Because of the increasing production
demand, Paterson’s wife had already begun working there in November 1940
and when Mrs. Megaw joined, she started as a ‘pumper’. The employment of
the ladies was understandable from the point of view of their availability,
418
D. Sheppard
which often arises from a new device, and placed the blame squarely on
non-expert handling at TRE Swanage. Even so, Megaw was charged with
re-examining the performance of the device—concluding that its discontinuities were small—before being dispatched to Swanage to pour ‘oil on the
waters’. By the end of the month however, Paterson was firmly of the opinion
that; ‘The real trouble is that when we sent our first raw sample of 10 cm
magnetron to Swanage, they chose to regard it as a thoroughly investigated
and established valve, instead of an article whose main development lay ahead
of it’. By early February, Paterson felt the need to bring concerned parties to
Wembley to re-assure them of progress, and Air Commodore Leedham was
‘lunched’ and then shown around the Laboratories by both Paterson and
Robert. However, the general feeling of ‘cold feet’ at Westminster and elsewhere was not improved when news arrived from the USA that Bell Labs had
improved the efficiency of Wembley’s magnetron from 10 to 50% and
achieved an increase in power of some 300–400%! When actual samples of
these valves arrived from the USA in early February—by ‘The Ferry’—
Megaw immediately tested them and established that they were ‘just the same
as ours’. With this evidence, and reports now coming in that consistent
service was being achieved from the magnetrons, Paterson observed; ‘I fancy
the cold feet have been warming up somewhat … [although] … Swanage are
too self-satisfied to learn the lesson’. Even so, as the months passed and little
was now heard of the alleged vagaries, Bell Labs still claimed 40–60% efficiencies for their devices, (‘a complete enigma …’ according to Paterson)
whilst difficulties with Swanage rumbled on causing Paterson to consider
charges of ‘amateur irresponsibility’ against them and remarking ‘ … what a
lot of trouble these people cause by doing things the wrong way.’ At this time,
staff at Wembley increased their visits to various establishments, catching up
on the ‘uniformed’ use of these valves before it was too late. But there is little
doubt that all these ‘wranglings’ also contributed to the delay in the eventual
deployment of the device.
By late February, more and more members of the families of the staff chose
to join in the valve-making at Wembley, Mrs. Megaw and Miss Dudding
being mentioned in particular. This it seems was in response to the difficulty
of keeping a ‘stable staff of girls’ for valve-making, Paterson denouncing them
(or their parents) as ‘giving no consideration to the importance of sticking to
their jobs in the national interest’. Because of the increasing production
demand, Paterson’s wife had already begun working there in November 1940
and when Mrs. Megaw joined, she started as a ‘pumper’. The employment of
the ladies was understandable from the point of view of their availability,
418
D. Sheppard