Ralph Benjamin
Encyclopedia
Ralph Benjamin, CB PhD, DSc, DEng, FIET(1976), FCGI(1981), FREng(1983), FRSA(1984) (born 17 November 1922) is a British scientist.
Dr Benjamin was born in Darmstadt
, Germany
. He attended boarding school in Switzerland
from 1937, and was sent to England in 1939 as a refugee. He studied at Ellesmere College
and a Imperial College London
where he graduated with a 1st class honours in Electronic Engineering. He joined the Royal Naval Scientific Service in 1944, beginning his career at the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment (ASWE). Between 1947 and 1957 he developed the first force-wide integrated Command and Control System. This included patenting the use of an interlaced cursor controlled by a tracker ball to link displays to stored digital information, the first ever digital compression of video data, and the creation of the navy’s first digital data link and network which is still in use NATO-wide as "Link 11".
During the fifties and sixties he was a Leading member of national Advanced Computer Techniques Project and in 1961 he was Acting International Chairman NATO “Von Karman” studies on “Man and Machine” and “Command and Control”.
From 1961 to 1964 he was Head of Research and Deputy Director, Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment then in 1964 he became Chief Scientist Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE), combined with Director, AUWE, and MoD Director Underwater Weapons R&D. Posts he held until 1971. Original publications during this time resulted in a DSc and he published a textbook on “Modulation, Resolution and Signal processing” that was later unofficially translated into Russian. He also trained as a navy diver in order to better understand some of the challenges faced by the Royal Navy.
In 1971 he became Chief Scientist, Chief Engineer and Superintending Director at GCHQ where he stayed until 1982. He was responsible for fast-track Research, Development, Procurement, and Deployment and use of equipment and techniques for Signals Intelligence. During most of this time he was also Chief Scientific Advisor to the Intelligence Services and national Co-ordinator Intelligence R&D.
As a visiting Professor at the University of Surrey
between 1972 and 78 he helped to start the Surrey University mini-satellite programme.
Following retirement from the civil service he became Head of Communications Techniques & Networks at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
(SHAPE) Technical Centre from 1982 to 1987. Graduate NATO Staff College, 1983.
On his return to England he became a visiting Research Professor at University College
, London, and since 1993, Bristol University. Until recently he was also a visiting Professor at Imperial College, the Open University
, and the Royal Military College of Science, and Member of Court at Brunel University
. He also had substantial involvement in Defence Scientific Advisory Council, DSAC. He was given an honorary DEng by Bristol University in 2000. He has won the IET Heinrich Hertz premium twice, and also the Marconi premium and the Clarke Maxwell premium. In 2006 he was given the Achievement in Electronics Award and also in 2006 the Oliver Lodge Medal for IT.
His autobiography, call “Five Lives in One” was published in 1996.
Dr Benjamin was born in Darmstadt
Darmstadt
Darmstadt is a city in the Bundesland of Hesse in Germany, located in the southern part of the Rhine Main Area.The sandy soils in the Darmstadt area, ill-suited for agriculture in times before industrial fertilisation, prevented any larger settlement from developing, until the city became the seat...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. He attended boarding school in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
from 1937, and was sent to England in 1939 as a refugee. He studied at Ellesmere College
Ellesmere College
Ellesmere College is an independent co-educational English independent school located in Ellesmere and based in rural northern Shropshire, England.-History:...
and a Imperial College London
Imperial College London
Imperial College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom, specialising in science, engineering, business and medicine...
where he graduated with a 1st class honours in Electronic Engineering. He joined the Royal Naval Scientific Service in 1944, beginning his career at the Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment (ASWE). Between 1947 and 1957 he developed the first force-wide integrated Command and Control System. This included patenting the use of an interlaced cursor controlled by a tracker ball to link displays to stored digital information, the first ever digital compression of video data, and the creation of the navy’s first digital data link and network which is still in use NATO-wide as "Link 11".
During the fifties and sixties he was a Leading member of national Advanced Computer Techniques Project and in 1961 he was Acting International Chairman NATO “Von Karman” studies on “Man and Machine” and “Command and Control”.
From 1961 to 1964 he was Head of Research and Deputy Director, Admiralty Surface Weapons Establishment then in 1964 he became Chief Scientist Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment (AUWE), combined with Director, AUWE, and MoD Director Underwater Weapons R&D. Posts he held until 1971. Original publications during this time resulted in a DSc and he published a textbook on “Modulation, Resolution and Signal processing” that was later unofficially translated into Russian. He also trained as a navy diver in order to better understand some of the challenges faced by the Royal Navy.
In 1971 he became Chief Scientist, Chief Engineer and Superintending Director at GCHQ where he stayed until 1982. He was responsible for fast-track Research, Development, Procurement, and Deployment and use of equipment and techniques for Signals Intelligence. During most of this time he was also Chief Scientific Advisor to the Intelligence Services and national Co-ordinator Intelligence R&D.
As a visiting Professor at the University of Surrey
University of Surrey
The University of Surrey is a university located within the county town of Guildford, Surrey in the South East of England. It received its charter on 9 September 1966, and was previously situated near Battersea Park in south-west London. The institution was known as Battersea College of Technology...
between 1972 and 78 he helped to start the Surrey University mini-satellite programme.
Following retirement from the civil service he became Head of Communications Techniques & Networks at the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe is the central command of NATO military forces. It is located at Casteau, north of the Belgian city of Mons...
(SHAPE) Technical Centre from 1982 to 1987. Graduate NATO Staff College, 1983.
On his return to England he became a visiting Research Professor at University College
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
, London, and since 1993, Bristol University. Until recently he was also a visiting Professor at Imperial College, the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
, and the Royal Military College of Science, and Member of Court at Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
. He also had substantial involvement in Defence Scientific Advisory Council, DSAC. He was given an honorary DEng by Bristol University in 2000. He has won the IET Heinrich Hertz premium twice, and also the Marconi premium and the Clarke Maxwell premium. In 2006 he was given the Achievement in Electronics Award and also in 2006 the Oliver Lodge Medal for IT.
His autobiography, call “Five Lives in One” was published in 1996.