At the outbreak of hostilities, the potential threat of invasion from the Axis forces, as well as U-boat attacks on shipping off the coast of Southern Africa were of great concern to the military authorities. Fortunately, there were two great assets at the Allies' disposal. The first was the invention and development of Radar in Britain.
The second asset was in the person of Sir Basil Schonland (1896 - 1972), a significant figure in our military and scientific history and clearly a brilliant man. Born in Grahamstown, Schonland matriculated (aged just 14) from St Andrew's College as the top pupil in the then Cape Province. His studies took him to Rhodes University, and then to Cambridge University in England. His tertiary studies were interrupted by the First World War where, in the Signal Services of the Royal Engineers, he served in the British Army from 1915 to 1918. He was wounded at Arras, mentioned in despatches and awarded the OBE.
After the war he returned to study Physics at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. In 1922, he returned to South Africa and lectured at UCT, later becoming Professor of Physics there. In 1937 he moved to Johannesburg to direct the Bernard Price Institute of Geophysics at Witwatersrand University.
At the outbreak of the Second World War, now with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, Schonland was in charge of the South African Special Signals Services and led the development of South Africa's own Radar system. In 1941 he went to England to acquire more equipment for South Africa and became superintendent of the Army Operational Research Group of the Air Defence Research and Development Establishment (AORG) between 1941 and 1944. Under his leadership the Research Group made significant contributions to the war effort, particularly in Radar used by the army. By 1944 he was scientific adviser to Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery. By the war's end he held the rank of Brigadier.
Post-WW2, Schonland returned to South Africa to continue as director of the Bernard Price Institute at Wits. On the request of Jan Smuts, he established the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research. In 1954 he became deputy director and then director of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment at Harwell in the UK. He was knighted by the Queen for his services to Science in 1960.
(Portions of the above attributed to Wikipedia)
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| (Above map from publication by Brian Austin ZS6BKW) |
The presentation, by Allan ZS1AL and Professor Mike Inggs, was most interesting. We were treated to photos, maps and descriptions of the development of South African Radar and the activities of the SA Special Signals Service. The system had two main functions - firstly, that of ocean surface surveillance and secondly, the coordination and ranging of the heavy artillery sited primarily to protect Simonstown and Cape Town harbours from attack.
Of particular interest to us in Cape Town were the descriptions of the facilities positioned around the Cape Peninsula and Cape Hangklip, as well as maps of Radar coverage around the coast at the time.
On a personal note, I was moved by the film clips (some even in colour) of the personnel who developed and operated the radar system during their period of deployment, including the many female operators who tirelessly sat at their stations for long hours under conditions that could be kindly described as spartan. One of them may have been my Auntie Pam. Such was the great secrecy surrounding the entire project that we only learned of her involvement in the Special Signals Service long after she had passed on...
The meeting ended at around 15h45. Grateful thanks to Allan, Professor Inggs and all who attended the on-line meeting. A truly memorable presentation indeed!
Allan has kindly indicated he has more videos of the above topic and we will post links to them here shortly.
Nick ZS1ZD