RV Jones and his watches

[India Four Two]

I'm in the middle of watching the BBC Documentary "The Secret War" (via YouTube). I hadn't heard of this until it was posted on PPRuNe recently, but I cannot relocate the posting. Thanks whoever it was - RV Jones' book "Most Secret War" is one of my frequently re-read favourites.

I noticed that Professor Jones is wearing two wrist watches, during his interview. Does anyone know why he did this?

I asked a good friend of mine, who was at Aberdeen University in the 1950s, about the two watches and he sent me this interesting reply and anecdote:

Yes, I believe so. I cannot remember his answer when asked "Why?'.

He was an honorary member of the Aberdeen University Air Squadron, and at a dine in night in Hemswell, Lincolnshire, we threw him out of a window (ground floor) and broke his watch (I think he only had one on at the time). This was NOT the cause of his habit as I think he was prone to wearing two watches before that. He may only have worn two to lectures to illustrate the point that a man with one watch always knows the exact time, but a man with two watches never does!

Getting back to the documentaries - what a marvellous, well-made series. So much better than most of the rubbish that is churned out to fill all the cable and satellite channels these days. Is the series available on DVD?

Besides all the technically interesting details, there are all those interviews with famous people involved on both sides. Besides RV Jones, there are, going from memory, Bee Beamont, Keith Park, Albert Speer, Adolf Galland and my favourite, Hanna Reitsch, complete with a close up of her Diamond Badge.

[Andy Fletcher]

Perhaps one watch was set to Zulu and one to local time. An old Chief Tech I worked with used to wear two watches for that reason.

Best Regards

Andy Fletcher

[Hipper]

I hadn't heard of this until it was posted on PPRuNe recently, but I cannot relocate the posting.

This perhaps:

http://www.pprune.org/military-aircr...-2100-a-2.html

[Sir George Cayley]

Reginald Jones is one of my heroes

One fact that staggered me was that when seated in the War Room with Churchill, as his Chief Scientific Adviser he was around 30 years old.

If you have not read his book I would earnestly encourage to read it.

Sir George Cayley

[sycamore]

As Mr Fletcher states,during the WW2, Britain was on British Double Summer Time up to 1945 (+2 hrs) so,it may depend on whether you worked on GMT,or Local time...

[aviate1138]

Sir GC "Reginald Jones is one of my heroes"

Mine too.

After reading RV Jone's book way back in 1978/9 I remember thinking what would have happened if he hadn't been around during WW2.

His ability for lateral thinking inspired me greatly.

David Cameron desperately needs a scientist of RV Jones' ability to replace the dross he,

Cameron has surrounded himself with.

RV's Obit in the Independent is worth a read.

Obituary: Professor R. V. Jones - Obituaries, News - The Independent

[Herod]

When I was trotting around the world on the C130 I used to wear two watches. One on Zulu, so I knew where and when I had to be, and one on local so I knew when the bar was going to open.

[Prince of Dzun]

All cats have three tails.

R V Jones mentions in his book "Most Secret War " an algebraic formular that proves all cats have three tails. Does anyone know of this formular and its reasoning ? I have a feeling that certain assumptions would have to be made and the logic may not be correct.

Prince of Dzun.

[dazdaz1]

Hi.........
Algebra Jokes : Enjoyable Theorem (v)

Prove that a cat has three tails.
Proof:
We know,
No cat has two tails.
We also know, one cat has one more tail than no cat.

So, it must have three tails. (proved.)

[Hipper]

I fear one of his premises is wrong:

Polycaudal Cats

There is also, of course, the cat o' nine tails.

[Fitter2]

If one is bothered to read to the end of the references, you will find:

Read this far? This is the Messybeast April Fool 2006 webpage. Sorry, but there are no breeding populations of multi-tailed cats (or mice).

So Dr Jones' syllogism is not contradicted...........

[Prince of Dzun]

All cats have three tails;

dazdaz1;

I don't think Pythagoras or Professor Ian Stewart would agree but what you say is good enough for me. I'm trying to think of a suitable penance for Hipper. One should not be allowed to disrupt the class and expect to get away with it.

Prince of Dzun.

[ZH875]

Cats have less than 1 tail

If the Manx cat has no tail and the 'Normal' cat has 1 tail, then the 'Average' cat must have Less than 1 tail as the average number of tails will be between 0 and 1

[Wander00]

Shades of Schrödinger's Cat

[Agaricus bisporus]

Surely the point of Schrodiger's cat was precisely that - it was a shade. And alive at the same time.
But as to how many tails it had...that probably depended on how fast it was going - a bit like Mr Fisk's truncated blade.
Clearly cats are subject to relativity too, as shown by their posessing 3 and less than one tails simultaneously. Fascinating creatures.

[Mearns Loon]

R V Jones

I was fortunate to be one of his students (not a very good one) but I do not remember his wearing two watches. I am sure other ex AUAS pprune members may remember more but I do meet one of his family from time to time. I will ask about the two watches

[PLovett]

I have a very (!) vague memory from watching a program on the man that one watch was set on UK time and the other was on east coast USA time where he was often required to communicate. This started during WW2 and he continued the practice afterwards.

However, with my memory these days, I may be wrong.