OCEAN SCIENCE and the BRITISH COLD WAR STATE Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology
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PALGRAVE STUDIES IN THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE HISTORY STUDIES PALGRAVE SAMUEL A. ROBINSON OCEAN SCIENCE AND THE BRITISH COLD WAR STATE Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology Series Editors James Rodger Fleming Colby College Waterville, ME, USA Roger D. Launius Auburn, AL, USA Designed to bridge the gap between the history of science and the history of technology, this series publishes the best new work by promising and accomplished authors in both areas. In particular, it offers historical per- spectives on issues of current and ongoing concern, provides international and global perspectives on scientific issues, and encourages productive communication between historians and practicing scientists. More information about this series at http://www.palgrave.com/gp/series/14581 Samuel A. Robinson Ocean Science and the British Cold War State Samuel A. Robinson Department of Sociology University of York York, UK Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology ISBN 978-3-319-73095-0 ISBN 978-3-319-73096-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-73096-7 Library of Congress Control Number: 2018936617 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2018 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Cover illustration: © @ csp archive / Alamy Stock Printed on acid-free paper This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer International Publishing AG part of Springer Nature. The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland For Charmaine ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Research for this book was made possible by the project “The Earth Under Surveillance” funded by the European Research Council with grant no. 241009. It started life as a PhD dissertation at the Centre for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine, University of Manchester, under the supervision of Simone Turchetti and Jeff Hughes. It was revised into its current form while I was a postdoctoral researcher on the AHRC- funded project, “Unsettling Scientific Stories” in SATSU, Department of Sociology, University of York, where PI Amanda Rees provided endless support, and my fellow postdocs Matthew Paskins and Amy Chambers kindly offered comments and criticism on chapter drafts, significantly improving the readability of this manuscript. Any remaining errors natu- rally remain entirely mine. I am grateful to the librarians and archivists of the National Oceanography Centre Library, Southampton; the National Archives, Kew; John Rylands Library, University of Manchester; Churchill College Archive Centre, University of Cambridge; the British Library; and the Caird Library, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, whose expertise and enthusiasm for their collections made the process of researching this work a pleasure. To Amy, Rupert, Rosalind, and Rufus, you have got me through the months and now years when I thought this project would never end. I am grateful and look forward to our next book adventure. Finally, this whole process would never have been possible without the love and support of my mother, Charmaine. Ever since I demanded vii viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS history books for my seventh birthday, history and my ever-expanding library have consumed your house and probably your life. Thank you for almost never complaining. You have taught me how to be, and for that I will forever be in your debt. This book is dedicated to you. CONTENTS 1 Ocean Science and the British Cold War State 1 2 Oceanographers at War 35 3 De-mobbing Military Oceanography: Post-War Needs of British Science 75 4 Collaboration on Defence, Intelligence, and Internationalism During the 1950s 113 5 Oceanographers, Surveillance, and Defence Research 153 6 Militant Oceanographers: Behind Britain’s “Technocratic” Moment, 1958–64 187 7 New Frontiers of Oceanology and “Environmentalism” 225 8 Epilogue: The Retirement of George Deacon 257 9 Conclusion: Situating Britain and the Sea in the Cold War 261 ix x Contents Note on Archival Resources 271 Index 273 LIST OF ABBREVIaTIONS ACSP Advisory Committee for Science Policy AFMED Allied Forces Mediterranean (NATO) ARE Admiralty Research Establishment ARL Admiralty Research Laboratory ASDIC Allied Submarine Detection Investigations Committee ASW Anti-submarine warfare AUWE Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment BAAS British Association for the Advancement of Science CRNSS Chief of the Royal Navy Scientific Service DPR Director of Physical Research (Admiralty) DSI Director of Scientific Intelligence (Admiralty) DSR Director of Scientific Research ELINT Electronic intelligence FRS Fellow of the Royal Society GIUK Greenland–Iceland–UK gap ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Seas IGY International Geophysical Year IOS Institute of Oceanographical Sciences (rebrand of NIO) IUGG International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics JIB Joint Intelligence Bureau JIC Joint Intelligence Committee JOC Joint Oceanographic Commission MAFF Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food MILOC Military Oceanography Group, NATO MMD Mine Design Department, Royal Navy xi xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS MOD Ministry of Defence NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organisation NERC Natural Environment Research Council NIO National Institute of Oceanography (UK) NOC National Oceanographic Council OSINT Open-source intelligence RAF Royal Air Force RNSS Royal Navy Scientific Service RRS Royal Research Ship SAC Scientific Advisory Committee SERL Services Electronic Research Laboratory SIGINT Signals intelligence SOSUS sound surveillance system SSK Sociology of Scientific Knowledge TRE Telecommunications Research Establishment UNCLOS UN Convention on the Law of the Sea WHOI Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 2.1 George Deacon on the deck of the RRS Discovery II on a Discovery Committee expedition, late 1930s. (Image from the Archives of the National Oceanographic Library, National Oceanography Centre. Southampton) 44 Fig. 3.1 Deacon’s memorandum: proposed NIO research objectives (1947) 95 Fig. 3.2 Members of the National Oceanographic Council, 1951 100 Fig. 3.3 National Institute of Oceanography building, Wormley, 1953. (Image from the Archives of the National Oceanographic Library, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton) 103 Fig. 4.1 NIO Physical Oceanographers at the ARL c.1950. (left to right) Back: Norman Smith, Frank Pierce, Cyril Williams, Rick Hubbard, D.W. ‘Dick’ Privett, Laurence Baxter, Leon Verra. Front: Jim Crease, M.J. ‘Tom’ Tucker, Henry Charnock, George Deacon, Ken Bowden, Jack Darbyshire. (Image from the Archives of the National Oceanographic Library, National Oceanography Centre. Southampton.) 116 Fig. 4.2 The first neutrally buoyant float for tracking water movements at depth was developed by John Swallow, a British oceanographer. It consisted of an aluminium pipe with a battery and timer circuit that would excite a magnetostrictive transducer, a “pinger”, hanging underneath. John Swallow pictured, 1955. (Image from the Archives of the National Oceanographic Library, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.) 127 xiii xiv List of Figures Fig. 7.1 Geological Long-Range Inclined ASDIC (GLORIA) Trials team aboard the RSS Discovery. L to R Seated Front Ray Peters, Dick Dobson, Stuart Bicknell. Middle John Swallow, Ship’s Officer, Norman Smith, Harry Moreton (bosun), Dick Burt (netman), Ship’s Officer, Capt. Geoff Howe, unknown, Stuart Rusby, Mike Somers, Brian McCartney. Back Brian Barrow, Vince Lawford, Keith Tipping, Stuart Willis, Roger Edge, Percy Woods 237 CHAPTER 1 Ocean Science and the British Cold War State In March 1974, a one-day symposium was held at the Royal Society in London, to reflect on the effect of two world wars on the organisation and development of science in the United Kingdom.1 Listed amongst the speakers were two leading British scientists who feature prominently in this book: Edward Bullard and George Deacon. Bullard believed that important lessons taught to young scientists by the war included: how to use the Government machine, how to get one’s way with commit- tees, how to persuade people with arguments suitable to their backgrounds and prejudices and how realistically to assess the means needed for a given end.2 Following Bullard’s paper, George Deacon (the recently retired director of the National Institute of Oceanography, NIO) noted that ‘Marine