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Letter from Watson-Watt

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Galletti and Robert Watson-Watt

A letter, dated 9th October, 1930 has been discovered in the Ferranti archives in the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester which leaves an intriguing question.

The letter was from Robert Watson-Watt to Vincent Ferranti. Watson-Watt was the Director of the Radio Research Station at Slough which later became the National Physical Laboratory. Although there was no one inventor of Radar, Watson-Watt is often credited as being the father of Radar due to the pioneering work performed by his team.

Watson-Watt would have been involved in his early aircraft detection experiments at the time the letter was written and he clearly knew of Galletti and his directional aerial experiments.

Could Galletti and his experiments have influenced the development of the British "Chain Home" radar system which would prove so conclusive during the Battle of Britain?

Sadly, until further research is undertaken, this question must remain unanswered.


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