45 Facts About Ernest Titterton

Ernest Titterton eventually became one of the laboratory's group leaders.

Ernest Titterton participated in the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at the Bikini Atoll in 1946, where he performed the countdown for both tests.

Ernest Titterton was the last member of the British Mission to do so, in April 1947.

Ernest Titterton investigated ternary fission, a comparatively rare type of nuclear fission in which the nucleus breaks into three pieces instead of two, and the photodisintegration of light nuclei by gamma rays.

Ernest Titterton was a consultant to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston that designed and developed Britain's first nuclear weapons.

Ernest Titterton helped build up the physics department at ANU through the acquisition of accelerators.

Ernest Titterton's reputation was tarnished by the McClelland Royal Commission in 1984 and 1985, which accused him of loyalty to Britain instead of Australia.

Ernest Titterton had a talent for music, singing with the choir and playing the organ at the Church of St Editha, Tamworth.

Ernest Titterton excelled at sports, playing cricket and hockey for the school's first teams, and learned to play the piano and the organ.

Ernest Titterton received his School Certificate with seven credits when he was fourteen, and entered sixth form, which was at that time reserved for gifted students expected to continue to study at a tertiary level.

Summerhayes hoped that Ernest Titterton would be able to enter the University of Cambridge, but the paper mill that his father worked for closed due to the Great Depression, leaving his father unemployed for a time, and unable to afford it.

Ernest Titterton obtained his Bachelor of Science in 1936 with distinctions in both pure and applied mathematics and, of course, physics.

An honours year quickly followed, and Ernest Titterton topped the year in physics.

Ernest Titterton continued his interest in music, playing the piano at social events.

Ernest Titterton played hockey with the university First XI from 1934 to 1936.

Ernest Titterton was awarded a PhD in physics in 1941.

Ernest Titterton's examiners were the nuclear physicists John Cockcroft and Philip Dee, both of whom were engaged in work on radar at that time.

Ernest Titterton then became involved with timing circuits used to track the progress of an implosion.

Ernest Titterton designed a circuit for measuring the spread of detonations using a variation of the pin method.

Ernest Titterton developed a device called "the informer" that measured the time spread among detonations.

Ernest Titterton participated in the Operation Crossroads nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll, and performed the countdown for both tests.

Ernest Titterton played the grand piano at dances and recitals at the Fuller Lodge, often accompanied by Richard Feynman on the drums.

All had gone by the end of 1946, except for Ernest Titterton, who was granted a special dispensation, and remained until 12 April 1947.

Ernest Titterton headed a group that was part of Herbert Skinner's General Physics Division, responsible for research with nuclear emulsions and cloud chambers.

Ernest Titterton researched the photodisintegration of light nuclei by gamma rays.

Ernest Titterton was a consultant to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston that designed and developed Britain's first nuclear weapons.

Ernest Titterton had a 1.2 MeV Cockcroft-Walton accelerator installed so he could continue his work with nuclear emulsions.

Ernest Titterton was a strong public advocate of nuclear power in Australia, writing letters to and articles in the Canberra Times.

Ernest Titterton was the Dean of the Research School of Physical Sciences from 1966 to 1968, and Director of the Research School of Physical Sciences from 1969 to 1973.

Ernest Titterton was a member of the council of Macquarie University from 1978 to 1984.

Ernest Titterton's goal was to build up the physics department at ANU into a world-class institution.

Ernest Titterton obtained $2.2 million in 1969 for new accelerators, with which he purchased a 26 MeV negative-ion cyclotron to inject into the EN tandem, which commenced operation in 1972, and a 14UD tandem accelerator that commenced operation in 1974.

In 1973, Ernest Titterton stepped down as Director of the Research School of Physical Sciences, and became an ordinary professor.

Ernest Titterton was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George on 1 January 1957, and was created a knight bachelor on 1 January 1970.

Ernest Titterton was grilled by the McClelland Royal Commission, which held hearings between August 1984 and September 1985 to investigate the conduct of British nuclear testing in Australia.

Ernest Titterton clashed repeatedly with its chairman, Jim McClelland, who accused Titterton of being "a British plant".

Ernest Titterton played a political as well as a safety role in the testing program, especially in the minor trials.

Ernest Titterton was prepared to conceal information from the Australian Government and his fellow Committee members if he believed to do so would suit the interests of the United Kingdom Government and the testing program.

Ernest Titterton was from first to last, 'their man' and the concerns which were ultimately voiced in relation to the Vixen B proposals and which forced the introduction of more formal procedures for approving minor trials were a direct result of the perceived inadequacies in the manner in which he had carried out his tasks.

Ernest Titterton officially retired in 1981, but retained a position as a visiting fellow in the Department of Nuclear Physics at the ANU.

Ernest Titterton divorced in 1986, and was injured seriously in a car accident in September 1987, which left him a quadriplegic.

Ernest Titterton considered himself as "on the scrap heap of life", and claimed that "if euthanasia were legal I should opt for it tomorrow".

Ernest Titterton's remains were cremated, and his ashes scattered along the White Cliffs of Dover.

Ernest Titterton was survived by his ex-wife and three children.

Ernest Titterton's papers are held by the Australian Science and Technology Heritage Centre at the University of Melbourne.