17.3.3 Paterson’s Diary May 1941–April 1943
With John Augustin ‘safe’ and learning his trade in the Southern States,
Robert’s war moved along. From June to December 1941 his main concerns
involved the transfer of the micropup pre-production from the Laboratories
to the full production facilities in four new factories managed by M-OV, the
protocol for such processes being agreed in early June. However, by the end
of the month Sir Frank Smith contacted Paterson warning of a shortage of the
valve and Robert along with Dudding agreed to concentrate on the ‘VT90’ at
the expense of less critical units. By September new contracts saw more
pre-production groups set up in the Laboratories by clearing out space formally used in peace time, but all of this tedious, administrative effort was
beginning to wear Robert down, Paterson recording in his diary of 25
September 1941;
The financial check on these contracts involve a good deal of work and have
to be kept well up to date … Le Rossignol’s check, which he keeps on the
costs of valve pre-production, are a weariness to his soul. I shall have to try
to get him some intelligent clerical help.
Eventually, such help appeared in the form of a ‘Miss Lock’ who worked
alongside Robert gathering, analyzing and reporting on the costs of valve
pre-production at the Laboratories for the remainder of the war.
By October, the problem of getting ‘girl labour’ in sufficient numbers
persisted—the loss of just one or two leaving the laboratories ‘badly landed’—
Paterson even writing to Sir Frank Smith asking for a letter from ‘influential
quarters’ emphasizing the importance of their work in an attempt to retain
their female staff. For Robert, the remaining months of 1941 concerned both
magnetron and VT90 production, the latter becoming much healthier by late
October with M-OV alone now producing over 500 a week and Paterson
describing the valve as ‘a sound egg for both manufacture and operation …’.
On Christmas Eve 1941, Paterson received a letter from the Chief
Superintendent of TRE Swanage, reporting the first combat engagement of
an aircraft fitted with the new magnetron based AIS
43 radar, and although the
outcome of the engagement was unknown, the radar operated perfectly. TRE
also added exactly the kind of qualification that Paterson was looking for by
praising the work of Laboratory staff
44 ;
17 The GEC Laboratories 1939–1949
425
With John Augustin ‘safe’ and learning his trade in the Southern States,
Robert’s war moved along. From June to December 1941 his main concerns
involved the transfer of the micropup pre-production from the Laboratories
to the full production facilities in four new factories managed by M-OV, the
protocol for such processes being agreed in early June. However, by the end
of the month Sir Frank Smith contacted Paterson warning of a shortage of the
valve and Robert along with Dudding agreed to concentrate on the ‘VT90’ at
the expense of less critical units. By September new contracts saw more
pre-production groups set up in the Laboratories by clearing out space formally used in peace time, but all of this tedious, administrative effort was
beginning to wear Robert down, Paterson recording in his diary of 25
September 1941;
The financial check on these contracts involve a good deal of work and have
to be kept well up to date … Le Rossignol’s check, which he keeps on the
costs of valve pre-production, are a weariness to his soul. I shall have to try
to get him some intelligent clerical help.
Eventually, such help appeared in the form of a ‘Miss Lock’ who worked
alongside Robert gathering, analyzing and reporting on the costs of valve
pre-production at the Laboratories for the remainder of the war.
By October, the problem of getting ‘girl labour’ in sufficient numbers
persisted—the loss of just one or two leaving the laboratories ‘badly landed’—
Paterson even writing to Sir Frank Smith asking for a letter from ‘influential
quarters’ emphasizing the importance of their work in an attempt to retain
their female staff. For Robert, the remaining months of 1941 concerned both
magnetron and VT90 production, the latter becoming much healthier by late
October with M-OV alone now producing over 500 a week and Paterson
describing the valve as ‘a sound egg for both manufacture and operation …’.
On Christmas Eve 1941, Paterson received a letter from the Chief
Superintendent of TRE Swanage, reporting the first combat engagement of
an aircraft fitted with the new magnetron based AIS
43 radar, and although the
outcome of the engagement was unknown, the radar operated perfectly. TRE
also added exactly the kind of qualification that Paterson was looking for by
praising the work of Laboratory staff
44 ;
17 The GEC Laboratories 1939–1949
425