History of the Microwave Part 2 : Percy Spencer

Blogger: Amber Lemus

Percy Spencer

Last month we learned about the history of the microwave, however the man who is considered the inventor of the appliance deserves his own post, because his story is epic. So we're back today to learn about American inventor Percy Spencer.


Percy was born on July 19, 1894 in Howland, Maine, but his life would not be an easy one. Both of his parents died by the time he was eighteen months old, and he went to live with his aunt and uncle. When he was seven, his uncle also died, leaving Percy and his aunt on their own. Circumstances were so hard, that by age twelve, Percy dropped out of school to get a job so that he could help support his aunt. He got a job as a spindle boy at a weaving mill.

Even in these rough, early years, Percy was intelligent and ambitious. He took an interest in electricity when he heard that a local paper mill would soon start using it, and started learning all he could about the concepts. He hadn't received any formal training in electrical engineering, but he applied to the paper mill anyway and was one of the three persons hired to install electricity in the mill.

When he turned eighteen, Percy saw the Navy as an opportunity to further his education, so he joined as a radio operator. His interest in radio communications had been ignited when the news of the Titanic's sinking reached the shores of Maine. He was fascinated by the thought of the wireless communications that had been sent from a dying ship to plead for help. While he was in the Navy, Percy taught himself a number of scientific subjects. In his own words, "I just got hold of a lot of textbooks and taught myself while I was standing watch at night." In this way, he learned not only radio technology, but also calculus, physics, trigonometry and more.

Percy Spencer with early Microwave equipment
Public Domain - Newspaper Photo

Distinguished Public
Service Award
Public Domain

After the First World War, Percy joined a company known then as the American Appliance Company in Cambridge, Maine. This company would later be known as the Raytheon Company. During the Second World War, the British contracted with Raytheon to mass produce combat radar equipment. This was one of their most recent inventions. Spencer played a key role in the development of this technology by developing a system of mass production of the magnetron. He increased the production to 2,600 per day. In this way, Raytheon had a "marked effect on every major sea engagement of the war" according to Navy officials. Although he was no longer enlisted in the military, Percy was awarded the Distinguished Public Service Award from the U.S. Navy because of his work on this project. That award is the highest honor the Navy can bestow to a civilian.


As we discussed last month, it was during this time that Percy was working with the magnetron, that he also invented the microwave oven. This is what he is most well-known for, but it is hardly the greatest of his accomplishments. Vannevar Bush, a friend and colleague, said of Percy, "(He) earned the respect of every physicist in the country, not only for his ingenuity, but for what he has learned about physics by absorbing it through his skin."

While Percy was only given a $2.00 gratuity from Raytheon for the patent on the microwave, as an employee of the company, he did not receive any royalties on his inventions. However, he did become the Vice President and senior board member of the company, so I don't think he completely lost out on his career choice.

Percy Spencer's list of accomplishments is long. He received over 300 patents during his career. One of the Raytheon labs was named after him, and when that closed, another building was named in his honor. He was a member of the Institute of Radio Engineers, a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and he was granted an honorary Doctor of Science from the University of Massachusetts, despite the fact that he had no formal education. He was also a husband, father of three children, friend to many.

Percy died on September 8, 1970 at the age of 76. Here's a link to a NYT article at the time of his death.

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Two-time winner of the Christian Indie Award for historical fiction, Amber Lemus inspires hearts through enthralling tales She has a passion for travel, history, books and her Savior. This combination results in what her readers call "historical fiction at its finest".

She lives near the Ozarks in her "casita" with her prince charming. Between enjoying life as a boy mom, and spinning stories out of soap bubbles, Amber loves to connect with readers and hang out on Goodreads with other bookish peoples.

Amber is a proud member of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association. Visit her online at http://www.amberlemus.com/ and download a FREE story by subscribing to her Newsletter!

Dazzle Camouflage

by Anita Mae Draper

HMT Olympic in dazzle camouflage at Pier 2 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, painted by Arthur Lismer. Public Domain wikipedia

Dazzle camouflage came to my attention during family research into letters written during WW1 and sent home to the family. One letter noted that Olympic was still in harbor. The thought of a luxurious liner serving as a troop ship sent me into research mode. I was amazed to find the above image by war artist Arthur Lismer that shows the HMT Olympic in Halifax Harbor at the end of the First World War while still painted in dazzle camouflage. Further research led to the discovery that the Olympic was sister ship to the Titanic and the Britannic. 

Titanic (right) had to be moved out of the drydock so her sister Olympic (left), which had lost a propeller, could have it replaced. March 6, 1912. Public Domain, wikimedia

The Royal Mail Ship Olympic was the first of three British ocean liners of the White Star fleet and the largest vessel of its kind until the Titanic was launched with slightly more interior furnishings thus adding to the overall weight. The RMS Titanic sailed her maiden voyage on April 10, 1912 and sank five days later on April 15 after hitting an iceberg giving her five days in service.

HMHS Britannic was completed on December 23, 1915 and began service less than a month later. She served as a hospital ship for eleven months before sinking in the Aegean Sea after hitting a mine on November 21, 1916.  

His Majesty's Hospital Ship (HMHS) Britannic. Public Domain, wikimedia

After the Titanic went down, the Olympic was taken out of service for a refit. Her lifeboats were increased from 20 to 64 and major modifications were made before she returned to mail and passenger service. In May 1915, the Admiralty requisitioned the Olympic as a troopship and installed 12-pounders and 4.7-inch guns. On 24 Sep 1915, the newly designated HMT Olympic (Hired Military Transport) began its military service with 6,000 soldiers on board. ​From 1916 to 1917, HMT Olympic was chartered by the Canadian Government to transport troops from Halifax to Britain. In 1917, she gained 6-inch guns and was painted with the dazzle camouflage scheme. 

HMT Olympic in dazzle camouflage while in service as a troopship during the First World War. Public Domain, wikipedia

The dazzle paint scheme is credited to Norman Wilkinson, a British marine artist whose geometric patterns made ships visible, yet distorted the perception of them so that their size, number and heading couldn't be easily discerned. An example of this is the USS West Mahomet when she was photographed in port in November 1918. 

USS West Mahomet In port, circa November 1918. Public Domain, wikipedia

In 1922 the Encyclopaedia Britannica published this plate which illustrates the dazzle camouflage effect as seen through a U-boat, or submarine, periscope.

Plate illustrating the "dazzle painting" method of camouflaging ships to make their orientation less apparent, by Norman Wilkinson.  Originally published 1922 Encyclopædia Britannica, Public Domain wikimedia

The dazzle camouflage paint scheme was received with mixed reactions, depending on how one perceived what they were looking at, and the multitude of factors at the time. 

As November 11th draws near, we remember the men and women who served in military conflicts for the sake of freedom. 

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Anita Mae Draper lives on the Canadian prairies where she uses her experience and love of history to enhance her stories of yesteryear's romance with realism and faith. Readers can enrich their story experience with visual references by checking Anita's Pinterest boards. All links available on her website at www.anitamaedraper.com

USS America, United States Navy

Battle of Trafalgar (Ships Similar to the USS 1782)

by Pam Hillman

You just never know what you’re going to find out over Sunday dinner. One of the guests at my mother-in-law’s dinner table this past Sunday is a maritime electrician at Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, MS.

After an absolutely wonderful dinner consisting of pork chops, potato salad, field peas, corn, fried okra, cornbread, and an unnamed, but yummy dessert everyone raved about (we never did find out what it was called...), the conversation turned to Bro. Johnson’s day job.

I found out that he’d been wiring ships off and on for 37 years, and that he’d worked on commercial ships as well as naval ships of all shapes and sizes. So that led to my next question. Had he worked on the USS America?

To which he replied, "Which one?"

Turns out there have been four ships commissioned USS America, one that Ingalls just completed in 2012. Wow! I never knew. This begged for more research, so I started digging…

Hercules, a man-of-war similar to
USS America 1782

USS America (1782)

1782-1786

When laid down in 1777, this 74-gun man-of-war was the largest warship built in America. Built for the Continental Navy, it was given to France upon launch. A shortage of skilled workers and well seasoned timber delayed construction for many months. In 1779, Captain John Barry was named as her prospective commanding officer and was ordered to complete the ship as soon as possible. In spite of his efforts, little progress had been made on the ship when Barry was ordered to take command of the 36-gun frigate Alliance.

The unfinished ship languished in the shipyard until June 1781 when Congress named Captain John Paul Jones as commanding officer. Jones was ordered to make America seaworthy. Jones arrived in Portsmouth in August 1781 and dedicated himself to completing the man-of-war. But all of his hard work seemed to come to naught in September 1782 when Congress made the decision to present the ship to King Louis XVI of France to replace Magnifique, which had run aground and subsequently destroyed attempting to enter Boston Harbor. The gift was a token of appreciation for France’s support and service to the American patriots.

Disappointment over losing the commission to command America did not deter Jones, and he stayed the course and saw America launched into the waters of the Piscataqua on November 5, 1782. Rigged and fitted out, the ship departed Portsmouth in June 1783 commanded by M. le Chevalier de Macarty Martinge, the former commander of the Magnifique.

America’s service under the French flag was brief. Three years after launch, an examination of her hull found damage from dry rot (likely from wartime construction from green timber) determined to be beyond repair. She was scrapped in 1786.

USS America (ID-3006)

USS America (ID-3006)

1905-1957

The USS America (ID-3006) enjoyed a long and industrious life. She was launched in 1905 as SS Amerika in Belfast, Germany and served as a German passenger liner for the Hamburg America Line until 1912. She was docked in Boston when WWI broke out, and rather than risk seizure by the British Royal Navy, she remained in port for the next three years.

When the United States entered the war, Amerika was seized, commissioned USS Amerika (quickly Anglicized to America) and used by the U. S. Navy for troop transport. She transported 40,000 troops to France and over 51,000 troops back home from Europe. She sank in 1918 in port in New York, with the loss of six lives, but was raised and reconditioned. In 1926, a tragic oil leak resulted in a fire that gutted almost all of the passenger cabins. But, despite $2,000,000 in damage, America was rebuilt and back in service the following year. The valiant USS America (ID-3006) ended her service to the United States in 1931, but her career didn’t end there.

She came out of retirement in 1940 and was renamed USAT Edmund B. Alexander and again served the US as a troopship during WWII. She then used her substantial strength to carry military dependents until 1949, when she was retired once again. Eventually, she was sold for scrap in January 1957—52 years after her initial launch. God bless her!

USS America (CV-66)

USS America (CV-66)

1965-2005

Since CFHS is a blog devoted solely to topics of a historical nature, I’m not going to give many details about the USS America (CV-66), other than to say that this ship was one of four Kitty Hawk-class super aircraft carriers built for the US Navy. She served in the Atlantic, the Mediterranean, and the Pacific Oceans, the Vietnam War, and operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She gave her life in 2005 in service for weapons testing and lies upright and intact at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 250 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras.

In addition, it’s important to note that when I read of the USS America’s (CV-66) many tours of duty, her service, and her valiant sacrifice in the end, I got a little teary-eyed. You see, I had the pleasure of touring this particular American beauty in the early 1970s when my brother was a Navy seaman on the ship. The flight deck was the length of three football fields. My brother said that they played football on deck and never lost a ball!

USS America (LHA-6)

USS America (LHA-6)

2013-

The USS America (LHA-6) is an America-class amphibious assault ship awarded for construction in June 2007. She launched June 2012 from Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, MS with an expected commissioning date in 2013 with Naval Base San Diego as her home port.

Note: This post first appeared on the Christian Fiction Historical Society blog April 16, 2013. I hope you enjoy revisiting the fascinating history of naming ships in the US Navy.

To read more about all four ships christened USS America, click here (Wikipedia).

The Promise of Breeze Hill, available for pre-order from your favorite retailer.

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CBA Bestselling author PAM HILLMAN was born and raised on a dairy farm in Mississippi and spent her teenage years perched on the seat of a tractor raking hay. In those days, her daddy couldn't afford two cab tractors with air conditioning and a radio, so Pam drove an Allis Chalmers 110. Even when her daddy asked her if she wanted to bale hay, she told him she didn't mind raking. Raking hay doesn't take much thought so Pam spent her time working on her tan and making up stories in her head. Now, that's the kind of life every girl should dream of. www.pamhillman.com

BOOK GIVEAWAY AND WORLD WAR 11 WEDDINGS

ANNE GREENE here:

Amid pain and suffering, the 1940s teemed with romance. During World War II many women arranged wartime weddings within a few days of receiving a proposal to accommodate a boyfriend coming home on 24 or 48 hours short leave. Then the new husband deployed to combat on some far off post.  Frequently there was no time to order a special wedding dress, and often women could not afford the clothing coupons needed for a wartime wedding dress.

Nevertheless, happy weddings took place. Family members donated small amounts of staples like sugar, flour and eggs so the war bride could bake a wedding cake.

Women borrowed hats, raided gardens for flowers and loaned wedding dresses. Bridesmaids reused dresses worn to other weddings. This gave a mix and match look to bridal group photographs of the 1940s. Most every item of clothing could be used again in a different venue. Friends and family rallied around loaning a hat, a bit of lace, or a dress.

A bride often wore her hair high on top of her head in a waved roll. Abundant hair was helpful, but lack of it did not stop women from adopting the style. Ever resourceful, they used old stockings rolled up to create foundations to be covered in their hair. This style became popular among women of the forties since the look offered glamour lacking in other areas of wartime life. The style is film star glam.

Army, Navy and Air Corps usually wore their uniforms when they wed. So the grooms looked handsome.

In 1944, an American B-29 pilot returned with his crew from a bombing raid over Yowata, Japan. The plane’s engine caught fire. The pilot used his parachute to jump from the burning aircraft. Later the chute helped him survive by providing shelter until rescue teams found him. After returning home from war to Pennsylvania, he proposed to his girlfriend. She used the life-saving parachute as material for her wedding dress. She modeled her dress on one which appeared in the movie Gone With The Wind. She used the original parachute strings to create the train effect in the back. I can think of no other wedding dress that would be as meaningful as one that saved the life of the groom.
In my World War II historical romance, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS, you will find two romantic war time weddings. If you love weddings, you’ll adore these two.

Do you have a story about a World War II wedding from your grandmother or mother? Would you accept a proposal to marry within 48hours or even a week?

Leave a comment for a chance to win an autographed copy of ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS.

A story of a woman in a man’s domain set against the dynamics of World War II is a can’t-miss scenario. Angels With Steel Wings paints a vivid picture of courageous pilots facing death in the air while struggling with love on the ground, and wraps it up in a unique twist that will challenge all you knew about the “Greatest Generation.” Steeped in history and framed by faith, this is a tale that takes readers into a world now all but forgotten, and lands in a place that touches the heart in a special way. To know how far we have come, we must understand where we started, and Angels With Steel Wings takes us back on a thrilling trip in time that informs as it entertains. I think this is one flight you won’t want to miss.

***Ace Collins, bestselling author of numerous books, including the WW II series, “In the President’s Service.”

BIO: ANNE GREENE delights in writing about alpha heroes who aren’t afraid to fall on their knees in prayer, and about gutsy heroines. She writes both historical and suspense novels. Her Women of Courage Series spotlights heroic women of World War II. The first book, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS is available on Amazon. Her private investigating series, Handcuffed In Texas with the first book, HOLLY GARDEN, PI, RED IS FOR ROOKIE, now available on Amazon. She and her hero husband, Army Special Forces Colonel Larry Greene, have visited twenty-five countries. A visit to Scotland resulted in her award-winning Scottish historical romances, MASQUERADE MARRIAGE and MARRIAGE BY ARRANGEMENT. A TEXAS CHRISTMAS MYSTERY also won awards. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to an awesome new world and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. To learn more of Anne, visit her at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.  

WOULD YOU HAVE JOINED THE WAVES DURING WORLD WAR II?

ANNE GREENE HERE. Despite the pain and fear and death that occurred during World War II, women made great strides in financial and personal freedom. The WAVES provided one avenue to those goals. 

WAVES was established on 30 July 1942 to replace men who could then be released for active sea duty. The name was an acronym for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (as well as an allusion to ocean waves.) 

The WAVES could not serve aboard combat ships or aircraft. Initially they were restricted to duty in the United States. Late in the war, they were authorized to serve in certain U.S. possessions, and a number were sent to Hawaii. The war ended before any WAVES could be sent to other locations.

Within their first year, the WAVES were 27,000 strong. A large proportion did clerical work, but some took positions in the aviation community, medical professions, communications, intelligence, storekeeper and technology.

The use of the word Emergency signified that US Navy brass thought female service would cease when the war ended due to political resistance from many who did not believe women had a place in the US Navy. Despite the resistance from conservative officers, the demand was clearly there.

 

By mid-1943, 27,000 American women served in the WAVES. These women took up far more responsibilities. Secretarial and clerical jobs still made up a large portion of WAVES positions, but thousands performed jobs such as aviation mechanics, photographers, control tower operators, and intelligence personnel. By the end of the war, over 84,000 women served in WAVES with 8,000 female officers.

Entire staffs of men disappeared because women took over airfield control towers, manned vital naval communications networks, and served important roles in health and hospital work. Women trained in gunnery and blind flying instruction, aerology, aviation ground crew work, navigation and other fields. The Navy estimated that WAVES freed enough men to outfit an entire task force of 1 battleship, 2 aircraft carriers, 2 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers and 15 destroyers.

The Navy placed women in both mundane and dangerous activities. They operated all the laboratories and many of the firing bays at the crucial Indian Head rocket powder plant which conducted testing of American rocket propellants. They fixed aircraft, packed parachutes, provided weather information, served as link trainers, gunnery instructors, coordinated air traffic control and performed a host of other aviation-related jobs.

After the war, do you think these women were content to going back to being housewives? They changed the thinking of the nation about women’s place in society.   

At war’s end, Congress passed the Women's Armed Services Integration Act on 12 Jun 1948, allowing women to gain permanent status in all military branches of the United States. This put the WAVES program into obsolescence, but opened the way for women’s continued advancement in society.

My book, ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS, releases late March or early April, 2015. ANGEL WITH STEEL WINGS is a World War II romance where Steel Magnolias meet Band of Brothers. Mandy McCabe escapes her dead-end life in Hangman’s Hollow, Tennessee, by becoming a Woman Air Force Service Pilot. Major Harvey Applegate lost his wife to the WASP program, and he’s convinced Yankee Doodle Gals have no place flying in the war effort. He determines to protect the remaining ladies by sending them packing back to the home front. Can Mandy save the WASP program on Harvey's base? Both Mandy and Harvey experience immediate attraction which increases Harvey’s desire to send Mandy home to safety. One love. Two goals. Someone has to give. 

ANNE GREENE delights in writing about wounded heroes and gutsy heroines. Her second novel, a Scottish historical, Masquerade Marriage, won three prestigious book awards. The sequel Marriage By Arrangement, finalled in a number of contests. A Texas Christmas Mystery also won several awards. Look for Anne’s new World War II historical romance, Angel With Steel Wings, early in 2015. The first book in Anne’s lady detective series, Holly Garden, PI, Red is for Rookie, débuts later in 2015. Anne’s highest hope is that her stories transport the reader to awesome new worlds and touch hearts to seek a deeper spiritual relationship with the Lord Jesus. Anne makes her home in McKinney, Texas. She loves to talk with her readers. Buy Anne’s books at http://www.Amazon.com. Talk with Anne on twitter at @TheAnneGreene. View Anne’s books, travel pictures and art work at http://www.AnneGreeneAuthor.com.

Learn more about Anne as well as gain tips on writing award-winning novels at http://www.anneswritingupdates.blogspot.com.