Edward George Bowen, 14 January 1911 - 12 August 1991

Abstract

Edward George Bowen was one of the most dynamic and influential of the wartime generation of British physicists. Having completed his doctorate degree under Professor E. V. Appleton at King’s College, London, he was recruited by Robert Watson-Watt in 1935 and played an important part in the early development of radar in Britain. He went to the United States with the Tizard Mission in 1940 and helped to initiate the tremendous enterprise that marked the evolution of microwave radar as a fighting weapon in World War U. He was invited to join the CSIRO in Australia in 1943 and became the Chief of the Division of Radiophysics in Sydney. There he encouraged the greatest research effort that emerged from the War - the new science of radioastronomy - and brought about the construction of the 210 foot radio telescope at Parkes, New South Wales. Following the initiation of cloud and rain physics by Langmuir and Schaefer in the United States, he mounted a remarkable effort to improve the rainfall in dry Australia which began in 1947 and continued after he retired in 1971. Throughout his Australian career, he remained a devoted Welshman, rejoicing in the name of ‘Taffy’. He had a strong and independent view of his science which occasionally involved conflicting views with others, but this was balanced by an enthusiastic and engaging manner which won him many friends.