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Archiver > MAWORCES > 2008-03 > 1205777717


From: "cnivens" <>
Subject: Re: [MAWORCES] WWII Radar Tubes
Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:15:17 -0500
References: <mailman.147.1205650820.11704.maworces@rootsweb.com><47DD227C.8F8D5343@his.com>
In-Reply-To: <47DD227C.8F8D5343@his.com>


Raytheon Company was most likely the place your aunt worked during World War
II. She was probably on the assembly line producing Magnetron tubes. She
may have worked at a Raytheon facility in the Worchester area or she may
have commuted to Waltham, MA (approx. 30 miles) which was at that time the
Raytheon Company headquarters and main production facility.

At the beginning of the war in Europe, British scientists had developed a
new high power high frequency radar tube called the Magnetron. These new
tubes installed in radars on planes gave the British pilots a significant
advantage in air superiority.

The problem the British were facing at that time was the Magnetron could not
be produced in needed quantities. They turned to the U.S. to get help from
large U.S. companies like Western Electric and Bell Laboratories. Raytheon
Company was not considered. Under the leadership of Laurence K. Marshall
and with his confidence in employee Percy Spencer he was able to convince
the U.S. government to ask the British to show the Magnetron to Raytheon for
consideration as second production source. Western Electric had already
opened a new facility in Chicago and was beginning to produce magnetrons.
Percy Spencer a self-educated genius who had for several years been involved
in the development of tubes at Raytheon took a look at the British
Magnetron. The British Magnetron cavity was made by cutting away a solid
piece of copper. Percy Spencer designed a new magnetron that could be mass
produced by stamping the sections from sheets of copper. The sections were
stacked with solder between the sections and placed in a hydrogen oven to
solder the sections together forming the cavity. Spencer also made other
design changes that improved the performance and the producibility of the
Magnetron. The Raytheon, design which was more easily mass produced was
presented to the government. The government pulled together a group of
experts to review the Raytheon design. The team determined that the
Raytheon Magnetron was not practicable and as a result Raytheon did not
receive an order.

Laurence Marshall believing in the Percy Spencer's design decided that
Raytheon should produce the Magnetrons. Without government contracts it was
necessary to raise finances, buy equipment and obtain a building to begin
production. At the end of the war Raytheon had produced 80 percent of all
the Magnetrons.

The Raytheon headquarters and production facility was in Waltham in the
1940's where it occupied a building formerly used for button manufacturing.
As Raytheon grew in tube, radar, communications, and missile production it
expanded and took over other several vacated buildings along or near Route
128 around Boston. I worked with the Raytheon Missile Systems Division for
37 years. Projects I worked on allowed me to visit many of the Raytheon
facilities in Massachusetts, the U.S. and around the world. I have not
visited the Raytheon Norwich facility therefore I do not know when it was
begun. It was probably making miniature tubes (started in 1939) that were
used in radars and could have been involved in the production of the
Magnetron tubes (started in 1940). There should be others in the
Massachusetts area that will know about the Raytheon Tube Division. The
Percy Spencer Power Tube Division Headquarters is in Waltham.

The on-line Wikipedia encyclopedia gives a good overall history of the
Raytheon Company. A detailed history of Raytheon is in the book "The
Creative Ordeal - The Story of Raytheon by Otto J. Scott" published in 1974.
It gives an interesting account of the personnel involved, the company and
world issues during the period.

Claude Nivens
Raytheon Retiree


-----Original Message-----
From: [mailto:]
On Behalf Of dickbolt
Sent: Sunday, March 16, 2008 8:37 AM
To:
Subject: [MAWORCES] WWII Radar Tubes

Hi, I have been replying directly to comments, but I guess its time I post
it!
She lived in Milbury or some town in that area during WWII. From looking at
Internet, the best answer so
far is the Raytheor plant in Northbridge, where I think they made Radar
tubes.
I will post after I talk to her abt Northbridge. Northbridge must be close
by as half of the HS kids
from Upton went there for HS after their HS burned down in abt 1950! The
other have were sent to Grafton
HS where I was.
Once I lock in on Raytheon, I will write them abt history.
Dick in MD

wrote:

> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: WWII Company in Worcester that made Radar parts
> ()
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2008 09:07:15 EDT
> From:
> Subject: Re: [MAWORCES] WWII Company in Worcester that made Radar
> parts
> To: ,
> Message-ID: <>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> Hello Dick,
> Have you looked in the city street directories for your aunt? The
> information on where she worked should be listed.
> The Other Cheryl
>
>
> In a message dated 3/13/2008 12:21:32 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
> writes:
>
> I haven't asked this in yrs, but during WWI, my aunt worked at a
> factory in Worcester or Worcester area that made Radar tubes or parts.
> What was that company & what were they making? She is still alive in
> MA, but does not remember much about it. There were many young girls
> working there during the war. Likely nothing in papers during war, but
> possibly just after.
>
> Dick in MD
>
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> End of MAWORCES Digest, Vol 3, Issue 56
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