Robert Watson-Watt

Sir Robert Watson-Watt is widely credited as the inventor of practical radar, the technology that arguably contributed more to Allied victory than any other single innovation. His work at Bawdsey Manor and later at the Telecommunications Research Establishment gave Britain the Chain Home radar system that detected approaching German aircraft during the Battle of Britain — the decisive advantage that allowed Fighter Command to deploy its limited resources effectively. Without radar, the Battle of Britain would almost certainly have been lost. Watson-Watt had connections to Cambridge through the Cavendish Laboratory and the scientific network that supported radar development. His innovation proved that in modern warfare, the scientist could be as decisive as the soldier.