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Stuart Macrae (inventor)
Encyclopedia
Colonel Robert Stuart Macrae TD was an inventor best known for his work at MD1
during the Second World War, his best known invention being the sticky bomb
.
Macrae was the author of Winston Chuchill's Toyshop. A memoir detailing his experiences at MD1.
. The war ended before the device was used or he received any commission for his work.
Macrae was an editor of Armchair Science
magazine during the period leading up to the Second World War. He was approached by Millis Jefferis
who was after strong magnet
s for a secret explosive project. Already security cleared
from his previous work, Macrae was able to join in the project.
on the Special List of the Territorial Army on 1 September 1939. with the effect that he had to give up editing Armchair Science and a gardening magazine at the same publisher.
One of Macrae's first weapons inventions was a limpet mine
. The mine was developed by Macrae and Major C.V. Clarke in 1939 using improvised development techniques.
Macrae was the administrator of MD1, but also able to continue to be involved in developing weapons and devices.
By the end of the war he was a war substantive lieutenant colonel.
His promotion to full colonel, as a result of MD1 being upgraded to a Grade A Establishment, was halted by the end of the war.
He remained in the TA after the war, transferring to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
(REME) as a substantive major on 9 October 1947 (with seniority from 6 October 1942).
with regards to his part in the development of the Sticky Bomb. His application was actively opposed on the basis that he was provided with the concept "on a plate" – the basic concept had been devised by Millis Jefferis
. Macrae did not contradict this, but emphasised his part in the development of the weapon. He was awarded £
500 [equivalent to £ in .] for his contribution. He was promoted to substantive lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1950, and awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, with clasp on 15 June 1951.
In 1953, Macrae was questioned about his possession of certain documents originating from his time at MD1. Matters came to light as he again applied to the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors for his wartime work on a variety of gadgets. Some of the documents were secret or top secret
. He explained that he had taken the papers home for safe keeping when The Firs closed in 1947 because no one else would take them away and they were left lying on the workshop floor and he was soon exonerated of any wrong-doing. As the hearing progressed, Major-General J. F. C. Holland, Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins
gave evidence to the commission explaining the usefulness of the unorthodox weapons. Macrae shared a number of awards from the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors:
£600 [equivalent to £ in ] jointly for the L-delay Switch;
£400 [£] for the limpet mine
,
£300 [£] for an air-pressure switch and
£200 [£] for igniters, detonators and signal flashes. He retired from army service on 1 January 1955, and was granted the honorary rank of colonel.
Between 1956 and 1970, Macrae took out a number of patents relating to reflecting road studs.
In 1971, Macrae published the book "Winston Churchill's Toyshop," detailing his work at MD1, one of the most famous and successful of all the British secret "back rooms" of World War II. Macrae's book traces his work at the "toyshop," from the limpet mine
, a delayed action mine, to the sticky bomb
and the Blacker Bombard
, to giant, bridge-carrying assault tanks (the "Great Eastern"). The workshop operated initially out of a tiny basement workshop and later from a country mansion. It produced an astonishing variety of ingenious and secret weapons that destroyed innumerable German tanks, aircraft and ships.
Macrae's first wife Mary died at the family home in Beacon Way, Banstead
on 24 May 1973. The Macraes had three children, David, John and Vivien.
In 1977, Macrae was engaged to be married to Anne Vivien Hall. The following year, Macrae and his new wife attended a luncheon party given by Queen Elizabeth II on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
MD1
Ministry of Defence 1 , also known as "Churchill's Toyshop" was a British weapon research and development organisation of the Second World War....
during the Second World War, his best known invention being the sticky bomb
Sticky bomb
The Grenade, Hand, Anti-Tank No. 74, commonly known as the sticky bomb, was a British hand grenade designed and produced during the Second World War. The grenade was one of a number of anti-tank weapons developed for use by the British Army and Home Guard as an ad hoc solution to a lack of...
.
Macrae was the author of Winston Chuchill's Toyshop. A memoir detailing his experiences at MD1.
Early career
Macrae had been a trainee engineer and late in the First World War worked on a device for dropping grendades as an early form of cluster bombCluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
. The war ended before the device was used or he received any commission for his work.
Macrae was an editor of Armchair Science
Armchair Science
"Armchair Science" was a British monthly journal of topical and popular science articles published from 1929 to 1940; it ceased publication because of wartime paper shortages. The first editor was A. Percy Bradley, a mechanical engineer associated with Brooklands, then Professor A. M. Low...
magazine during the period leading up to the Second World War. He was approached by Millis Jefferis
Millis Jefferis
Major-General Sir Millis Rowland Jefferis KBE MC was, during the Second World War, the founder of a special unit of the British Ministry of Supply which developed unusual weapons.-Early career:...
who was after strong magnet
Magnet
A magnet is a material or object that produces a magnetic field. This magnetic field is invisible but is responsible for the most notable property of a magnet: a force that pulls on other ferromagnetic materials, such as iron, and attracts or repels other magnets.A permanent magnet is an object...
s for a secret explosive project. Already security cleared
Security clearance
A security clearance is a status granted to individuals allowing them access to classified information, i.e., state secrets, or to restricted areas after completion of a thorough background check. The term "security clearance" is also sometimes used in private organizations that have a formal...
from his previous work, Macrae was able to join in the project.
Second World War
Macrae was called up as a second lieutenantSecond Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
on the Special List of the Territorial Army on 1 September 1939. with the effect that he had to give up editing Armchair Science and a gardening magazine at the same publisher.
One of Macrae's first weapons inventions was a limpet mine
Limpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
. The mine was developed by Macrae and Major C.V. Clarke in 1939 using improvised development techniques.
Macrae was the administrator of MD1, but also able to continue to be involved in developing weapons and devices.
By the end of the war he was a war substantive lieutenant colonel.
His promotion to full colonel, as a result of MD1 being upgraded to a Grade A Establishment, was halted by the end of the war.
He remained in the TA after the war, transferring to the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers
The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
(REME) as a substantive major on 9 October 1947 (with seniority from 6 October 1942).
Later career
In 1947, Macrae applied to the Royal Commission on Awards to InventorsRoyal Commission on Awards to Inventors
A Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors is a periodic Royal Commission of the United Kingdom used to hear patent disputes.On October 6, 1919 a Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors was convened to hear 11 claims for the invention of the tank....
with regards to his part in the development of the Sticky Bomb. His application was actively opposed on the basis that he was provided with the concept "on a plate" – the basic concept had been devised by Millis Jefferis
Millis Jefferis
Major-General Sir Millis Rowland Jefferis KBE MC was, during the Second World War, the founder of a special unit of the British Ministry of Supply which developed unusual weapons.-Early career:...
. Macrae did not contradict this, but emphasised his part in the development of the weapon. He was awarded £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
500 [equivalent to £ in .] for his contribution. He was promoted to substantive lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1950, and awarded the Territorial Efficiency Decoration, with clasp on 15 June 1951.
In 1953, Macrae was questioned about his possession of certain documents originating from his time at MD1. Matters came to light as he again applied to the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors for his wartime work on a variety of gadgets. Some of the documents were secret or top secret
Top Secret
Top Secret generally refers to the highest acknowledged level of classified information.Top Secret may also refer to:- Film and television :* Top Secret , a British comedy directed by Mario Zampi...
. He explained that he had taken the papers home for safe keeping when The Firs closed in 1947 because no one else would take them away and they were left lying on the workshop floor and he was soon exonerated of any wrong-doing. As the hearing progressed, Major-General J. F. C. Holland, Major-General Sir Colin Gubbins
Colin Gubbins
Major-General Sir Colin McVean Gubbins KCMG, DSO, MC was the prime mover of the Special Operations Executive in the Second World War....
gave evidence to the commission explaining the usefulness of the unorthodox weapons. Macrae shared a number of awards from the Royal Commission on Awards to Inventors:
£600 [equivalent to £ in ] jointly for the L-delay Switch;
£400 [£] for the limpet mine
Limpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
,
£300 [£] for an air-pressure switch and
£200 [£] for igniters, detonators and signal flashes. He retired from army service on 1 January 1955, and was granted the honorary rank of colonel.
Between 1956 and 1970, Macrae took out a number of patents relating to reflecting road studs.
In 1971, Macrae published the book "Winston Churchill's Toyshop," detailing his work at MD1, one of the most famous and successful of all the British secret "back rooms" of World War II. Macrae's book traces his work at the "toyshop," from the limpet mine
Limpet mine
A limpet mine is a type of naval mine attached to a target by magnets; they are so named because of their superficial similarity to the limpet, a type of mollusk....
, a delayed action mine, to the sticky bomb
Sticky bomb
The Grenade, Hand, Anti-Tank No. 74, commonly known as the sticky bomb, was a British hand grenade designed and produced during the Second World War. The grenade was one of a number of anti-tank weapons developed for use by the British Army and Home Guard as an ad hoc solution to a lack of...
and the Blacker Bombard
Blacker Bombard
The Blacker Bombard, also known as the 29mm Spigot Mortar, was an infantry anti-tank weapon devised by Lieutenant-Colonel Stewart Blacker in the early years of the Second World War.-Development:...
, to giant, bridge-carrying assault tanks (the "Great Eastern"). The workshop operated initially out of a tiny basement workshop and later from a country mansion. It produced an astonishing variety of ingenious and secret weapons that destroyed innumerable German tanks, aircraft and ships.
Macrae's first wife Mary died at the family home in Beacon Way, Banstead
Banstead
Banstead is a town in the borough of Reigate and Banstead in the county of Surrey, England, on the border with Greater London. It lies south of London, west of Croydon and of the county town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. Banstead is on the North Downs and is protected by the Metropolitan Green Belt;...
on 24 May 1973. The Macraes had three children, David, John and Vivien.
In 1977, Macrae was engaged to be married to Anne Vivien Hall. The following year, Macrae and his new wife attended a luncheon party given by Queen Elizabeth II on the Royal Yacht Britannia.