Friday, April 11, 2008
I was contacted on 28 November 2007 by Stewart Revell formerly of Marconi Mobile Radio, Trafford Park, Manchester who had come across this blog. After some email exchanges, he introduced me to a friend, Alan Gall formerly of SEI and historian of SEI/Marconi and other companies. Many thanks Stewart and I hope to meet you soon.
Stewart also quotes Alan.........”Claude Summerfield. Claude also recalls Bill Hartland as both worked in the same lab (Claude is 92 years old)”
Subsequently, Alan Gall has been in direct contact and I quote from his email of the 7th(?) December 2007 as it relates to the proximity fuse.
W.Hartland, W.Lord, G.Tomlin and L.Rolin.
The Polgreen you mention was Geoffrey Richard Polgreen, an outstanding engineer with many patents to his name. Gerald M.Tomlin (on the fuse team) succeeded Henry Cobden Turner as MD of SEI.
The book "The Prof of Two Worlds - The Official Life of Professor F.A. Lindemann, Viscount Cherwell" by The Earl of Birkenhead (1961) says: "Mr Cobden Turner, a joint-inventor of the fuse, was grateful to the Prof for the encouragement given to him in its development".
"The proximity fuse invented by Salford Electrical Instruments is claimed to be the second greatest invention of the war. It was brought into use in 1944 and helped to beat the Luftwaffe into helplessness prior to the invasion of Europe. The Americans adopted the proximity fuse with enthusiasm and used £700 million worth in their air battles against the Japanese" (Salford City Reporter 22.07.1949). “
I am hoping to meet with Stewart, Alan and Claude once I am back in the UK – probably early summer 2008 - and see how this much delayed project can be moved on. All help gratefully received!
Friday, July 21, 2006
Saturday, June 12, 2004
Bill marrying Dora in September 1939. Click on photograph for larger image
There is also a Salford History site but it seems not to have Internet archive access. Anyway, a visit might be interesting at some time.
Thursday, June 10, 2004
Family lore - mainly through his brother Malcolm - has it that he invented this device. I recall that Malcolm used to talk of coming home to find Bill working on strange devices which, when Bill invited Malcolm to approach them, started to hum.
It seems reasonably certain that he was a) at least in the team b) was said to be heading the project team c) may have been the inventor.[Note: US sites claim this to be an American invention; however there was much UK-US cooperation and information sharing in WWII e.g. on radar [in which SEI seems to have been involved too on UK side - see links below]
Some preliminary searching has found some links, namely
Proximity Fuse (US Navy) Definition
SEI - see reference to Henry Cobden Turner
R V Jones - see reference to Henry Cobden Turner
I have also exchanged emails with one former SEI employee who did not know Bill (he was only there for a short time in late 40's / early 50's) but said he thought there was a SEI historian / history website [unable to find this yet].
In the early(?) 1950's, the local (Swinton & Pendlebury Journal?) interviewed Bill Hartland on this secret work (my recollection was that it was a "bomb-aiming device" but this clearly ties in with proximity fuse)
My aim is to have a co-operative effort among all interested parties to research this matter and try to establish a coherent a story as possible of this remarkable man to serve as a valuable part of the Hartland family history.
