George G. Macfarlane
Encyclopedia
George G. Macfarlane was an engineer, scientific administrator and public servant. He made major contributions to research on radar
during World War II and received a special appointment as Superintendent, for theoretical work, within the Physics Division of the Telecommunications Research Establishment
(TRE) during the post war years, continuing in this capacity when it was renamed the Royal Radar Establishment
(RRE). He was appointed Deputy Director of the National Physical Laboratory in 1960, returned to RRE as Director in 1962 and was selected to be the first Controller of Research in the Ministry of Technology in 1967, responsible for the coordination of government laboratories with a total staff of 23,000. In 1970 he was transferred to the Ministry of Defence
, which had 20 research and development establishments. He consolidated these to just six, and was knighted in 1971. After retiring from this post in 1975, he continued several major professional activities.
, Lanarkshire
, and attended the Airdrie Academy
. He entered the University of Glasgow
in 1933, graduating in 1937, then went to the Dresden University of Technology
, receiving a doctorate in July 1939, and leaving a month before the outbreak of war.
and had moved to a site near Swanage
in Dorset
. The laboratory went through several name changes, and is best known during that period as the Telecommunications Research Establishment
(TRE). He applied his strong mathematical skills to the electromagnetic theory of radio wave propagation and reflection, that was the basis of the defensive use of airborne radar in detecting and tracking hostile bombers. He participated in work on the counter measures against radar carried by enemy bombers to locate their targets, and then on work to make the radar carried by British bombers more effective. Shortly before the end of the war, he was attached to an intelligence unit with the advancing allied forces, to collect information on German radar.
(also abbreviated RRE) in 1957. Macfarlane continued as Superintendent of Theoretical Physics throughout the reorganizations.
was Minister of Technology, the post of Controller of Research was created in his ministry, and Macfarlane was appointed. Three years later, in 1970, he moved to the Ministry of Defence
, planned and carried out a major restructuring and consolidation of its research activities, and was knighted.
and, later, British Telecom, advising on the use of digital communication and fibre optics. He also served on the National Enterprise Board
, the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum
, the Council of the Fellowship of Engineering
. He was elected Deputy President of the Institute of Electrical Engineers but declined the Presidency because the organization would not accept a physics degree as the qualification for membership, despite the extent to which physics and electronic engineering overlapped.
In these activities, as in his earlier administrative roles, he was a unifier – of laboratories, of disciplines, and of industry, government and education. He was survived by his wife of 66 years, née Barbara Grant Thomson, and a son and a daughter.
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
during World War II and received a special appointment as Superintendent, for theoretical work, within the Physics Division of the Telecommunications Research Establishment
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force during World War II and the years that followed. The name was...
(TRE) during the post war years, continuing in this capacity when it was renamed the Royal Radar Establishment
Royal Radar Establishment
The name Royal Radar Establishment was given to the existing Radar Research Establishment following a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Both names were abbreviated to RRE. The establishment had been formed, under its first name, in 1953 by merging the Telecommunications Research Establishment ...
(RRE). He was appointed Deputy Director of the National Physical Laboratory in 1960, returned to RRE as Director in 1962 and was selected to be the first Controller of Research in the Ministry of Technology in 1967, responsible for the coordination of government laboratories with a total staff of 23,000. In 1970 he was transferred to the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, which had 20 research and development establishments. He consolidated these to just six, and was knighted in 1971. After retiring from this post in 1975, he continued several major professional activities.
Early years
George Macfarlane was born in AirdrieAirdrie, North Lanarkshire
Airdrie is a town within North Lanarkshire, Scotland. It lies on a plateau roughly 400 ft above sea level, and is approximately 12 miles east of Glasgow city centre. Airdrie forms part of a conurbation with its neighbour Coatbridge, in the former district known as the Monklands. As of 2006,...
, Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
, and attended the Airdrie Academy
Airdrie Academy
-Admissions:It has a current roll of approximately 1,100 pupils. As part of Education 2010, a new building was opened in October 2006 to replace the previous one, which had been in use for almost 70 years....
. He entered the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
in 1933, graduating in 1937, then went to the Dresden University of Technology
Dresden University of Technology
The Technische Universität Dresden is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony and one of the 10 largest universities in Germany with 36,066 students...
, receiving a doctorate in July 1939, and leaving a month before the outbreak of war.
Wartime research
Soon after the war started, Macfarlane joined the government laboratory that was developing radarRadar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
and had moved to a site near Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
. The laboratory went through several name changes, and is best known during that period as the Telecommunications Research Establishment
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force during World War II and the years that followed. The name was...
(TRE). He applied his strong mathematical skills to the electromagnetic theory of radio wave propagation and reflection, that was the basis of the defensive use of airborne radar in detecting and tracking hostile bombers. He participated in work on the counter measures against radar carried by enemy bombers to locate their targets, and then on work to make the radar carried by British bombers more effective. Shortly before the end of the war, he was attached to an intelligence unit with the advancing allied forces, to collect information on German radar.
Postwar research
Developments in rocketry, that could propel missiles, and the discovery of semiconductors that were sensitive to infra red radiation led defence scientists and policy makers to focus on the development of heat seeking missiles. Under the direction of R.A. Smith, TRE became a major center for theoretical and experimental research on semiconductor physics. Macfarlane was given an individual merit post as Superintendent for theoretical work in the Physics Division. This included the applications of electromagnetic theory to antenna design and to the behaviour of magnetrons, of non-linear mathematics to guidance systems, of information theory to the filtration of radar signals, and of quantum mechanics to the electronic behaviour of crystalline solids. TRE merged with the Radar Research and Development Establishment (RRDE) to form the Radar Research Establishment (RRE) in 1953, renamed Royal Radar EstablishmentRoyal Radar Establishment
The name Royal Radar Establishment was given to the existing Radar Research Establishment following a visit by Queen Elizabeth II in 1957. Both names were abbreviated to RRE. The establishment had been formed, under its first name, in 1953 by merging the Telecommunications Research Establishment ...
(also abbreviated RRE) in 1957. Macfarlane continued as Superintendent of Theoretical Physics throughout the reorganizations.
The move to Administration
In 1960, Macfarlane became Deputy Director of the National Physical Laboratory. This has a key role in providing standards for scientific measurements and performing numerical calculations. On his return to RRE as Director, two years later, he reorganized the technical departments into: Military and Civil Systems (comprising Ground Radar and Air Traffic Control, Guided Weapons and Airborne Radar groups), Physics and Electronics (comprising Physics and Electronic Groups) and Engineering. At this time, "despite the policy shift away from fighters ... to guided weapons for UK air defence, ... RRE continued to argue for strike aircraft and kept up the necessary radar research programs." In 1967, when Tony BennTony Benn
Anthony Neil Wedgwood "Tony" Benn, PC is a British Labour Party politician and a former MP and Cabinet Minister.His successful campaign to renounce his hereditary peerage was instrumental in the creation of the Peerage Act 1963...
was Minister of Technology, the post of Controller of Research was created in his ministry, and Macfarlane was appointed. Three years later, in 1970, he moved to the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
, planned and carried out a major restructuring and consolidation of its research activities, and was knighted.
The years of Retirement
Macfarlane retired officially in 1975, but continued to provide professional expertize in the public interest. He served on the committee that had been set up to plan the future of the telecommunications industry (the Carter Committee) and then on the Boards of the (British) Post OfficeGeneral Post Office
General Post Office is the name of the British postal system from 1660 until 1969.General Post Office may also refer to:* General Post Office, Perth* General Post Office, Sydney* General Post Office, Melbourne* General Post Office, Brisbane...
and, later, British Telecom, advising on the use of digital communication and fibre optics. He also served on the National Enterprise Board
National Enterprise Board
-History:The National Enterprise Board was set up in the United Kingdom in 1975 to implement the Wilson Labour government's objective of extending public ownership of industry...
, the Board of Trustees of the Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum
Imperial War Museum is a British national museum organisation with branches at five locations in England, three of which are in London. The museum was founded during the First World War in 1917 and intended as a record of the war effort and sacrifice of Britain and her Empire...
, the Council of the Fellowship of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
. He was elected Deputy President of the Institute of Electrical Engineers but declined the Presidency because the organization would not accept a physics degree as the qualification for membership, despite the extent to which physics and electronic engineering overlapped.
In these activities, as in his earlier administrative roles, he was a unifier – of laboratories, of disciplines, and of industry, government and education. He was survived by his wife of 66 years, née Barbara Grant Thomson, and a son and a daughter.
External links
- Guardian obituary: Sir George Macfarlane: Brilliant wartime engineer who carried his pioneering work on radar into postwar telecommunications, July 30, 2007
- Times obituary: Sir George Macfarlane: Talented technologist who made invaluable contributions in wartime and as a postwar public servant, May 31, 2007