Arnold Lynch (3 June 1914 – 13 November 2004) was an English engineer, known for his work on an optical tape reader which was used in the construction of the
Colossus, the first electronic computer. By 1944 ten Colossus computers were installed at
Bletchley Park
Bletchley Park is an English country house and Bletchley Park estate, estate in Bletchley, Milton Keynes (Buckinghamshire), that became the principal centre of Allies of World War II, Allied World War II cryptography, code-breaking during the S ...
and used to read high-level (''Fish'' or ''Tunny'') German ciphers.
Lynch joined the
Post Office Research Station
The Post Office Research Station was first established as a separate section of the General Post Office in 1909.
In 1921, the Research Station moved to Dollis Hill, north west London, initially in ex-army huts.
The main permanent buildings at ...
in 1936, specialising in the measurement of the electrical and magnetic properties of materials. He retired in 1974, but continued to come to work at
NPL in the
dielectric
In electromagnetism, a dielectric (or dielectric medium) is an Insulator (electricity), electrical insulator that can be Polarisability, polarised by an applied electric field. When a dielectric material is placed in an electric field, electric ...
area of RF and microwave electromagnetism up to the year of his death.
The Maths, Art and Design Technology Department at
Dame Alice Owen's School was named after Lynch, in thanks for his work during his time at the school and his success as a scientist.
He married Edith Taylor in 1953. Their children are
Cedric Lynch and two daughters.
[ ]
References
External links
Times Obituary
1914 births
2004 deaths
Bletchley Park people
English electrical engineers
Scientists of the National Physical Laboratory (United Kingdom)
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