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World War II intelligence scientist R.V. Jones dead at 86
Copyright ) 1997 Nando.net
Copyright ) 1997 The Associated Press
LONDON (December 19, 1997 10:18 a.m. EST http://www.nando.net) -- R.V.
Jones, a scientist who devised countermeasures to German bombers and
radar in World War II, has died at age 86.
Jones died Wednesday in Aberdeen, his family said. He suffered a heart
attack.
He was assistant director of scientific intelligence at Britain's air
ministry through most of the war.
One of his first successes was in devising ways of jamming the radio
signals that guided German bombers to their targets in Britain.
Another was the discovery that strips of tinfoil blinded radar systems.
That knowledge was first used July 24, 1943, supporting a raid by 743
Allied bombers that dumped 40 tons of tinsel.
Among the honors Jones received for his war work was the U.S. Medal of
Freedom.
In 1946, he was appointed director of scientific intelligence at the air
ministry, but stayed on a short time before accepting the chair of
Natural Philosophy at the University of Aberdeen. He stayed there --
except for serving a year as director of scientific intelligence in
1952-53 -- until his retirement in 1981, when he became a professor
emeritus.
He described his wartime work in a 1978 book, "Most Secret War," which
was published as "The Wizard War" in the United States.
The Central Intelligence Agency created an award in his name in 1993.
Director James Woolsey described Jones as a "one-man, all-source
intelligence evaluation, collection and analysis section."
The following year, Jones was made a Companion of Honor, one of
Britain's highest honors.
Jones, whose full name was Reginald Victor Jones, is survived by a son,
a daughter and two grandchildren. A funeral service was planned Monday
at Strathdon Parish Church, followed by burial at Corgarff Cemetery.
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