1950-04-12 — Page 3

THE HONGKONG

APH WEDNESDAY, APRIT

GLITTER

GAL

JUST before curtain call, Mao West puts on "prop" diamonds which she wears in her current Broadway play. The props are valued at US$2,000. (AP)

'Mad Mike'

In Malaya Jungle War

Britain's National

Physical Laboratory Is 50 Years Old

By Peter Lovegrove

The birthplace of Radar, which made such a vital contribution to the winning of the Battle of Britain, revolutionised naval tactics and anti- aircraft gunnery and is of such practical value in peacetime flying and ship navigation, is Britain's National Physical Laboratory, which is 50 years old this year.

It was way back in January 1985 that Sir Robert Watson-Watt, then Superintendent of the Laboratory's Radio Division, was consulted by the Director of Scientific Research at the Air Ministry about the possible damaging effect of a ray consisting of radio waves to meet the Nazi air menace which was already causing grave concern.

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BLESSING THE SACRED FIRE

FRANCIS Cardinal Spellman of New York, second from left, blesses a sacred fire which is part of a ceremony calling on St Mark, the patron saint of wine. growers, to protect the vineyards. The performance of holy dances and prayers took place in the yard of the Church of Notre Dame de L'Esperance, in Cannes,

France. Canon Grau, rector of the church, is assisting. (Acme)

"DEATH RAILWAY" PADRE

SEEKING SCOTTISH HERO

By J. W. Taylor

There was much talk at millions of gallons of petrol is obtained that frequency com the time of "death rays" were pumped through pipelines paritons can be made to within that might dispatch the under the English. Channel. 11 one part in a hundred million, designed the high pressure and, in the care of weight, one strongest enemy at will. cylinders used for the balloon part in a 1.000 million. This was found to be im-barrage, and was also respons 112

Its intricate equipment In-

practicable, but

ible for a successful method of cludes 14 wind funnels, one of Watson- Watt, assisted by Mr A. F. dealing with delayed action which can produce a flow of air enemy bombs, Il constructed with a speed three times that Wilkins.

A Laboratory col-a machine whereby a hole could of cound, three high-voltage league, suggested that nero-be drilled in a bomb casing so transformers; an impulso genera- planes or other objects that the explosive contenta could tor capable of developing 2

a high voltage million valts; na

50- might be detected by a radio be steamed out.

Its Physica Division Invest!-cathode

ray oscillograph; 4. echo method.

ton gated "comfort" conditions in

deadweight

machine; armoured Asked to net on this theory,

fighting

microscopes, vehicles electron

Gelger Watson-Watt collected the under #imulated desert

and counters and X-ray cap nucleus of a research team from tropical conditions, and Temperatures of 1,200

car of Centigrado

be produced. his own department, and by developed the technique

metal bare can mid-September, from a specially-gamma ray radiology for the Thick constructed

at laboratory

examination of enemy mines. "stretched" until they snap

twisted to look Ukc Christmas Orferdness, on the Sulfolk coast, The metallurgical experts

10 Improve armour-streamers. successfully measured the height helped of an aircraft fiying at 7.000 piercing

the elec-1 projecilles.

Instruments

materials concerned with tested

from clinical feet and 15 miles away. Radio triclans were

Vary degaussing of location, though silil in its early the

ships thermometers to 120-ton power Isto

them protect !tages, had embarked

from transformers, and from hearing mines, and theolds supplied under the National great carcer.

magnetic

to a model of WAR PROBLEMS engineers carried out important Health Scheme This was by no means the investigations in ballieties in the Queen Mary.""

the only large supermonic wind uniy service that the scientists tunnel possessed by the Allied

TESTS SPEEDED UP Lf this great establishment, the.

One of its best known activ!- NaUonal Stan-anions at the time. Gerond oldest

Known in his native Australia as "the Fighting Padre," the Rev. dardising Laboratory in the Essential its war work ties is the testing of Police

Ho world-situated on site of was, the Laboratory's original watches, stop-watches used in Harry Thorpe will be visiting Scotland in May looking for a hero.

role is to bring all major sporting activities hopes that the publicity attached to his trip will attract the attention of around the old and primary neres Royal residence of Bushy House, selentine knowledge to bear in (including the Olympic Games),

Teildington, Middlesex

the man he seeks and cause him to communicate with him; he hopes, too, practical way on our everyday chronometers and clocks. The rendered to the Allied cause industrial and commercial well-known tests of high quality that other Scottish ex-Servicemen who were with him will do the same. during World War I. In fact,

science and industry, it

Carries

story behind his because they feared it was part was almost overwhelmed with the accurate Swlas practically the whole of the problems. In this union between watcher, initiated at Kew Out work of

at Teddington, the laboratory was out research for

of an escape plan, and pinced all emotion as he watched a one- to problems

watches

gocs brought search

back to the seris, of difficulties in the way of legged Scots lod limp towards devoted eventually to

determination of physical quan-

the altar. A hospital Inmate, ho related to the

the electronic recorder, effort. war

tifies, has established and main under

was one of the people for whom a second. The standard clock is Thorpe was taken prisoner But "Happy Harry" Thorpe the Festival was being held, but measurement, and makes testa

and his "congregation" persev- he had left his bed to join his testing from 24 dustrin}

instruments and speeded up

altar reached towards the | offering.. hours under the old pendulum work on the notorious "rail-an materials.

tho clock system to a few minutes. way of death" between als from the shade of

jungle edge. There the men na- With an apologetic smile, ho synthetic harbours towed across ELECTRICAL STANDARDS

Tesla such as these are mere Burma and Thailand.

sembled, emnelated, weary and handed over. 30 cents-all ho the Channel which made the

worn. Soon they filed past the had. A matter of threepence, but vasion of Northern Europe At Teddington are the bores routine activities. The Labor-

Despite their sufferings and altar with their precious Harvest it was enough to buy a few pre- wide variety of industrial

Festival gifs to bo distributed clous bananas for a very sick man possible. The Engineering Divi- of all our weights and measures, tory also devotes much time to slon was closely associated with The Laboratory is responsible problems and national projects. hardships, the men never forgot inter among the prisoners who lo eke out the appalling rations the initial experimental work for

maintenance of the

This done, he bowed and slowly on the Pluto project, whereby British electrical standards-the the moment, for instance, their early Christian training and were sick.

It is investigating, by

turned away to go back to his their religious festivals. One day ampere, the volt and the phm

shocked and ex- dynamic techniques, the stability they managed to make a clearing

WILD FLOWERS hospital bed,

hausted by his premature exer- the British Impe

Imperial standards

in the sun-baked jungle neni

Some of the men had senrelied tions, of the yard and the pound; the wind of the proposed suspen-

sion bridge over the Severn. temperature and

their primitive comp, for theit the cookhouse floors, crannies photometric scalus, the British radium ston- Some time ago, a similar Harvest Festival service was to and nooks for rice out of which dard and that for the meamire-bridge nt Tacoma, U.S.A., was

be held the following Surulay. they palnataldingly had made mente of radio wavelength and destroyed in 24 hours by the The Japs were all for hanning it models of churches, bridal frequency. Such high accuracy driving force of quite a moderato

about 50

where むかしてる . arc

The

“Mad Mike” Calvert, broad-chested, bemedalled sapper, whose war carcer in Burma, North Africa and Norway marked him as one of the outstanding In its Ship Division, modelsteins precise standards of which works to a 10,000th of wartime period when Padre, preparations. behind-enemy-lines soldiers of the generation, has of assault craft of all descrip-

become technical adviser to the Far East Landtions were tested in two 650 of practically all classes of in quartz oscillator, which has by the Japanese and put toered, and when Sunday dawned more active comrades to add his

Forces training centre in Malaya.

Before going to Malaya, "Mad Mike" spent several weeks in Hongkong, where he is very well known and popular. He was once stationed here before the war. and was an outstanding water polo player. During the Burma campaign, many Hongkong boys were under his command.

In Malaya, Lieut-Colonel ! Calvert has gone into the depths of the jungle on anti-

- bandit operations. He is a

jungle warfare expert.

Early in the Japanese cam- Dalgn, he founded the guerilia warfare school in Foster, Vic- toria, with Col. Spencer Chap-

man.

tu

Spencer Chapman went Malaya to work out the next three and a half years in his "neutral' jungle.

Col. Calvert went to Burma to

the bush

organise

school at Maymyo.

participated In General

warfare

Then he

Win-

In

Kate's two expeditions. the first he was a column com- mander, in the second a brigade commander.

. to

In

returned 1045, he Europe and commanded the frst Special Air Services' Bri- gade-and always operated

to 100 miles fifty

ahead of

General Montgomery, The end of the war found him in Nor-

way as area commander,

A

commentator In Lumpur who was

Kuala Ossociated

with Col. Calvert in Burma raid of him: "He was always pushing off to blow things up behind the enemy lines.**

Among Col, Calvert's deco- rations are: D.3.0. and bar, the American Silver Star, the French and Belgian Legion de Honneur and Croix de Guerre with palms.

ft. covered

cred water tanks, in- cluding models of portions of

Mulberry

Harbours the the

BUSINESS

AS

USUAL

THE 180-foot floating police station moored at London's Waterloo Pier since 1898, is towed down the River Thames for an overhaul. In its absence, police will conduct business in an unused goods.cur. aboard a barge. This station house contains no. cells; it is used for charging suspects. (Acme)

K. O. CANNON

THIS IS THE SECRET ENTRANCE, ORNTS. IT LEADS NIGHT TO THE DUNGEONE UNDER MARSH FOLLY.

the

Mr Bertlin

Is Trussing A Giant

is about to begin.

acro-

wind, which set up such a resonant vibration that it col- lapsed. The N.PL, is using the seience of nerodynamics to en- sure that this cannot happen. to the giant structure over the Severn,

It has studied the ventilation problem of the new House of Commons, and is now concerned with a matter which received

11

..

HELPING

SCOTSMEN

TO TRACE PEDIGREE

much publicity in the Press The fight to harness the a year or so ago. This deals 600 tons - a - second Nile with the smoke from London's new South Bank projected cataract into the £12,000,- power station, which it was 000 Owen Falls dam, in feared might damage St Paul's A detailed scale Uganda, mightiest hydro-Cathedral.

Over 5,000 people of Scot- model

of the area

has been electric plan in the Empire,

tish descent from every part in and tests undertaken

The N.P.L's of the world have made use Wind tunnel. recommendation 'ફ not theof the Scots Ancestry Re- Railways, a labour camp for building of a higher chimney. 1,200 men, a housing estate for which would mean a radical search Council since it was European engineers, and a temalteration of the present plans set up in 1945. The Coun porary power station are carved and involve much additional

cil aims to assist persons of the jungle and dense out of

expense, or special washing of bushi.

fumes, but the discharge Scottish blood to trace facts arrive of the smoke at a greater velobout their ancestors in Plant has begun to from Britain. Excavations for city, which would carry the the dam founda ions, and the fumes well attack on the Nile by a combine high dome.

And of eight British, Dutch,

Danish engineering firms begin next month.

the over

305.

on acro-

Scotland and to give reports upon the part of the country EFFECT OF "FLUTTER" from which their, stock has They have also been investi-sprung. Saya Mir D. P. Bertin, of

effect of "flutter." galing the London, who will live on the

or rapid vibrations, Job until it is done: "Progress plane propellers and wings, The honorary director is Mr already made is stupendous." acoustics in modern housing. J. G. Kyd, former Registrar Devaluation of the Found has the erosion of ship propel- General for Scotland and the increased by £100,000 the cost r

blades, new

computing members includo such notabile- of plant for the £1,500.000 machines. the hardening of ties by the Lyon King of Arms, cernent factory being built first steels, the preparation of metals the Historiographer Royal for for the dam and then for the in a high state of purity, and Scotland and Librarian of the new Industrial town at Jinja. the use of wavelengths of light National Library of Scotland, Africans and Asians, with as a means of defining the the Keeper of the Register and British, Dutch, Italian, and fundamental yard and metra Records of Scotland, and other Danish technicians and trades-lengths,

prominent Scoltish historians, men are already at work in this Babel town.

The Riddle of the Red Domino

MIND THE STEPS: SLIMSY" THEY ARE, KEEP CLOSE TO ME?

WHAT'S THAT?

SO-MY OBSTINATE FRIEND. 'AGGER TO KEEP MY. BUSINESS SECRETS, OR - SEE WHISPEN CRUSHED }

Much equipment has been designed which has now passed People who wish to trace into general industrini use. their ancestry pay a fee of Ave Ono recent gudget of which shillings for a preliminary in- they, bre very proud in the vestigation, which reveals the Control Mechanisms Section is feasibility of a search going Meccano-like contraption back 150 years. If this is con- which was invented there 18

worth while the cost sidered months

ago. This tests the

the depends on the work involved thickness of moving slivers of but does not exceed £3. If material such as cotton and raw the "links" appear to run of wool by air gauging, and has clearly, it is usually possible to attracted much attention in continue the Investigation be

The machine auto-

10yond 180 years.

rings an alarm bell

Skré

groups. farm scones and rell- gious emblems. Others had man- aged to smuggle in wild flowers picked from the jungle, and one or two hnd scraped together suf- ficient to buy a little of the cost ly fruit that was available.

PROUD TO SEIVE

"This is the lad Padre Thorpo hopes to meet. Although he has the names and addresses of mary other Seats who were with him in those harrowing days, the detalla concerning this hero are not among them.

Says Padre Thorpe: "I am sure Those who could get nothing the spirit that enabled this lad elso gave what was left of their tons and at the same time, to to survive in those awful condi. meagre personal treasures show such magnificent self- well-thumbed magazine, a ring useful for future trading for sacrifier, would send this boy food, or a precious piece of cloth, safely home to his beloved Brot- Pitiful enough were all these of land. I am hoping that when I ferings, but never had the Padre visit that country from May 10 known of any given with mox to 17, next he hears of my, visit and gets inte touch with me, and sincerity.

that goes for the other Scots lad- Hardened to heroism and self-dies with whom I was so proud sacrifice as he was, Padre Thorpe to serve."

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