On this Day – 1934

On the 3rd August 1934, Squadron-Leader P. R. Burchall wrote an article in The Spectator lamenting the public’s response to the results of recent simulations of air attacks on London that involved over 350 aircraft. Official figures suggested that approximately 70% of enemy aircraft could get through Britain’s defences to attack cities such as London, something that Burchall said caused a ‘feeling of defencelessness and dismay, or at all events of uneasiness’ among the British people. Such a fear led to the government investing heavily in air defences, leading to the development of radar at Bawdsey.

Although Burchall argued the best form of defence was attack, he also suggested that there was a need for greater cooperation among the ground units defending Britain, something which led to the establishment of the Dowding system, of which radar formed a vital part.

Want to learn more about the radar technology that proved vital in the Allied victory in the Second World War? Visit Bawdsey Radar! Learn more here: https://www.bawdseyradar.org.uk/visit/