Voices of Science

Norman Smith (1924-2013), technician in oceanography, worked initially as a technician in the Admiralty Research Laboratory, Teddington, on magnetic mines and infrared detection of enemy ships. From 1948, he was part of Group W (waves) which was the nucleus of what became the National Institute of Oceanography in 1949. He worked with NIO oceanographers (including interviewees Sir Anthony Laughton andProfessor David Cartwright) on various projects, including accurate measurements of salinity and temperature, coastal wave recording, ship-borne wave recorders and open-sea wave recording buoys.