How to use radar (Operational Research, OR) was considered by radar scientists to be equally important as the hardware. This is OR's official history in the RAF. 

When Michael Allen "crewed up" with Harry White in August 1941, it was the start of a four-year partnership as navigator and pilot respectively; together they formed one of the RAF's top-scoring night-fighter crews of World War II. His job was to operate the primitive airborne interception equipment (AI) and guide Harry through darkened skies until his pilot could see the enemy aircraft ahead of them.

An insight into the 20's and 30's & the impact of the War on the life and loves of a WAAF radar operator from Bournemouth.

A first hand account of the development of wartime radar which could cope with German night bombers.
Reg Batt was a radar scientist at Worth Matravers.

'Taffy' Bowen was one of the original radar scientists and the team leader on airborne radar from its inception.

RDF (Radio Direction Finding) was the 'cover' name given to radar before World War II. This book is based on detailed archival research of the work of people involved in early radar development. Before his retirement Bragg commissioned radars for the Civil Aviation Authority.

Primarily an account of Metropolitan Vickers' development and construction of Chain Home transmitters by a research technician.

This book is an account of the history of Radar in the Second World War.

Original subtitle: 'How a small group of radar pioneers won the Second World War and launched a technological revolution'.  Recalls the group of scientists whose invention of radar during World War II contributed to the Allied victory, and chronicles their post-war achievements.

A collection of papers with a strong international flavour including papers by Neal (Chain Home), Putley (Ground Controlled Interception) and Bowen (Airborne Interception & Air to Surface Vessel). 

Focuses on the development of the transmitting and receiving valves, display tubes and other active components used by the Navy, Army and Air Force in radar and communications equipment.

A wide perspective of British defence pre World War II as a whole - chronologically arranged and broadly focussed.

A populist treatment of radar, atomic power, Operations Research and naval science. It treats technology on a broad front, but assumes some scientific knowledge from the reader.

An account of the role and experiences of radar technicians between 1939 and 1945 showing how the many different applications of ground-based and airborne radar were put to effective use for defensive and offensive purposes.

A sweeping review of the role of electronics in military history, starting with the first use of electricity in the early 19th century and showing how military need has been a principal motivating force in most electronic development.

General history of radar in the closing phases of World War II.

A highly readable 'storybook' account of radar development, treating the subject by imaginative reconstructions of scenes and conversations of key individuals.

John Cunningham rose to fame as an outstanding night-fighter pilot, "Cat's-eyes Cunningham", during the bombing blitz of Britain.  Few then knew of his major role in perfecting the operational use of radar interception. He was the first squadron pilot in the world to shoot down an enemy aircraft using radar.  His partnership with Jimmy Rawnsley, his navigator, provides a fascinating insight into the air war under the cover of darkness.

A first hand account of the development of wartime radar.
Ian Goult worked in the radar team in Purbeck.

Gunston, a pre-eminent aircraft, airframe and aeroengine writer, traces the development of the night fighter before, during and after World War II.

Hanbury Brown was one of the younger members of Bowen's team and also held a pilot's licence. Focuses strongly on Airborne Interception and Air to Surface Vessel radar and on Operations Research.  Hanbury-Brown was a scientist at Worth Matravers.

Advances in science in the Second World War included radar, sonar, improved radio, methods of reducing disease, primitive computers, the new science of operational research and, finally, the atomic bomb. Like all wartime technology they were necessarily developed in a remarkably short time.

The autobiography of one of the pioneers of centimetric airborne interception radar; supplements Lovell.  Alan Hodgkin was one of the scientists at Worth.

An excellent general work on the use of radar by the Navy.

Book from a 1970s BBC series featuring scientific advances of World War II from radar to codebreaking.

Jones's account of his part in British Scientific Intelligence between 1939 and 1949. It was his responsibility to anticipate German applications of science to warfare, so that their new weapons could be countered before they were used. Much of his work had to do with radio navigation, as in the Battle of the Beams, with radar, as in the Allied Bomber Offensive and in the preparations for D-Day and in the war at sea.

This is the American title for 'Most Secret War'.

A series of technical Monographs describing various aspects of the origins, development and application of British Naval radar from its inception in 1935 until the end of World War 2.

An account of the 20th century use of Bawdsey and the surrounding area, based on published work and interviews.

Tells the story of UK radar development approachably and accurately from published works of the pioneers, interviews and reminiscences of those still alive.

Continues the style of 'Pioneers of Radar' into the war years from interviews with those who worked on radar in the UK 1939 - 1945, mixing technical and social history.

Excellent publication of the memoirs of 'Skip' Wilkins, Watson Watt's assistant in the earliest days of radar with helpful notes.

Autobiography by one of the founding fathers of radio astronomy who adapted wartime radar technology to study the stars.  Bernard Lovell was a scientist at Worth Matravers.

An autobiographical account of the author's work on the development of radar systems during World War II. The book focuses on his contributions to the development of a "blind" bombing device known as H2S and its conversion to assist Coastal Command in the detection of enemy submarines.  Bernard Lovell was a scientist at Worth Matravers.

One story of the commando raid on a German Wurzburg radar site at Bruneval in northern France to steal key components for analysis by British scientists.

This booklet tells the story of early radar development in the UK from the Daventry experiment in 1935 to after the D-Day invasion. It focuses on the period from May 1940 - May 1942 when radar development was centred at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) in Purbeck, Dorset.

Short general history of radar in the closing phases of World War II.

This non-technical booklet features many photographs of the people and radar sites, biographic notes of the top scientists and outlines the lasting legacy of technology.  Dr Bill Penley was a radar scientist at Worth Matravers.

Official history with radar as one subject: its focus is largely Government structures and processes.

Covers the evolution of anti-submarine aircraft to detect and attack U-boats from 1912 - 1945

Charts the rapid evolution of radio and radar systems for military use during World War II, and devices to counter them.

A study of the technological advances of German radar before and during World War II including Hulsmeyer's original experimentations in 1904.

Detailed day-by-day account with data on what happened and what did not, including extensive illustrations.

Highly illustrated account following the Blitz through the entire war on a day-by-day basis. Has some thematic studies including radar.

The story of the development of the radar-equipped night fighters of the RAF, of the men who flew them and of the role they played in WW2. 'Jimmy' Rawnsley was crewed with John Cunningham as a gunner, qualified as an observer radar operator, and the pair went on to become the RAF's leading night-fighter crew, destroying over 20 enemy aircraft.

Based on John Ray's doctoral thesis at the University of Kent. A thorough treatment of the subject which moved the Battle of Britain debate from the "Big Wing" controversy to the issues of Dowding's handling of night air defence. Covers radar and the debate among the senior personalities in the RAF.

A very well researched view of the Night Blitz: Ray did not have the benefit of more recently published memoirs such as Hanbury Brown, but relied on the (excellent) memory of Dr. W.H. Penley for the radar reminiscences.

A general account of early radar from Rowe's own perspective as Superintendent of the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE), the main UK research centre.

A narrative account including reasonable technical and contractual detail. Most of the focus is after 1941.

An excellent technical history with some mathematics and circuit diagrams. Well referenced, and with a strong international bias.

Long winded with a heavy focus in the earlier years, and written very much from Watson-Watt's own perspective.

Originally a 20th anniversary tribute and the book upon which the film "Battle of Britain" was based. The book was outstandingly well-researched for its period. It includes a description of the overall air defence system, and two chapters on radar. It concentrates on the day battle, and a chronological treatment of the Battle of Britain itself, with little on the Blitz.

Part-autobiography and part-history of the development of major electronic and avionic projects in which the author took a leading part. Going from the development of Airborne Radar, Automatic Landing and All Weather Operations to the environmental testing of atomic weapons and the development of air traffic control Weather systems.

Generally well researched and well written, this book follows Zimmerman's earlier work on Tizard. It deals with the development of the entire British radar-based air defence system, not solely with radar hardware. Indispensable on Chain Home, not so thorough in the single chapter on airborne radar.