The Papers of Dr. AB Wood

This collection of papers deals mainly with aspects of Dr. Wood’s private life and publication of scientific papers. The material comprises obituaries, reminiscences and histories in the form of published material from the Journal of the Royal Naval Scientific Service (off prints and extracts); correspondence about visits and transcripts of reminiscences (1945-1965); memorabilia and reminiscences about Dr. Wood’s school days, including the unveiling of a memorial plaque (1894-1971) and naming of the Marine Acoustical Services, Inc. , Miami, research vessel after Dr. Wood (c 1963-1973); letters of appointment (1913-1925); correspondence (1945-1946) with the British Broadcasting Corporation about Wood’s participation in a radio programme on wartime degassing, including scripts and an account of the recovery of the German magnetic mine for which Wood received his OBE; correspondence and certificates about his awards and honours (1951-1980); newspaper cuttings about Wood’s year at the United States Naval Electronics Laboratory, San Diego, 1963

Wood’s involvement in education is reflected in notes and miscellaneous papers from his teacher’s diploma course at the Victoria University of Manchester, 1912-1913 and his copy of a volume of addresses, reports and abstracts of papers of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Manchester, 1915, which includes an article by Wood about the military training of youth in schools.

Papers dealing with his work in radioactivity (1914-1921) include six of Wood’s own published papers (1914-1915) and a folder documenting Wood’s work for publication on long-range particles from thorium active deposits (1919-1921), including notes of experiments and other related notes and papers and off prints. Of particular interest is Wood’s correspondence (11 letters) with Ernest Rutherford about this work (1919-1920). Wood’s work on the cathode ray oscillograph, magnetostriction and echo sounders is described in journal off prints and trade catalogues (1923-1944), a typescript report on trials of echo sounder shallow water boat gear and correspondence with Henry Hughes & Son, manufacturers of nautical, aeronautical, optical and drawing instruments and various other correspondents about echo fishing (1937–1963).

Dr Wood’s history of the Royal Naval Scientific Service, entitled From Board of Invention and Research to Royal Naval Scientific Service as published in the Journal of the Royal Naval Scientific Service, July 1965. Vol. 20, No.4, Memorial Number, is available in the collection (ABW 1/1). This journal also contains a list of his published papers.