At the outset in 1934, AP 'Jimmy' Rowe went beyond his relatively junior responsibilities to investigate Britain's air defence strategy.  He raised his concerns with Henry Wimperis, his boss, and the Tizard committee was formed to explore possible improvements.  This led directly to the Daventry experiment and the start of the radar development work.

Well before the war and before the initial Chain Home radar system was operational, Henry Tizard anticipated that a working system would result in hostile aircraft switching to night attack. He had the foresight to start early work on Airborne Interception radar to help combat this.  His foresight proved well founded, and the early start on Airborne Interception radar paid off!

Winston Churchill, the wartime prime minister, identified the key significance of technology to the war effort at an early stage, and in a minute to cabinet on 3rd September 1940 he wrote: "... our supreme effort must be to gain overwhelming mastery of the air ... we must regard the whole sphere of RDF ... as ranking with the Air Force of which it is an essential part.  The multiplication of the high class scientific personnel ... should be the very spear point of our thought and effort."

Priority was given to recruit top scientists from Britain's universities to work on radar.  It was Top Secret at the time and referred to with the 'cover' name Radio Direction Finding (RDF).  Scientists arrived at RAF stations and were given the nickname 'boffins'.  While the origin of the name is not clear, it may have had something to do with the makeshift appearance of the Blackburn Baffin biplane - see Wikipedia.

After the war many of the scientists went on to eminent careers with a number becoming Nobel prizewinners, Fellows of the Royal Society, being awarded knighthoods or becoming peers of the realm.