User:Msrasnw/Afdthings

The Bigsworth chart board (The Bigsworth Protractor, Parellels and Chart Board) was a device, developed circa 1918, to aid in the use of charts for the onboard navigation of planes. It consisted of a wooden board upon which a chart was placed. Over the chart was a pivoted double parallel linking arm that could be adjusted up and down the side of the board and at the arm's end was a protractor. Its inventor was Arthur Wellesley Bigsworth (whose name inspired Captain W. E. Johns to name his hero "Biggles"). The square board was available in two sizes (14 inches or 17 inches)... which being most suitable depending on the space available. The United States, National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Report (1922) describes the Bigsworth board as "one of the most convenient avaialble outfits ... for plotting and determining courses, finding position, etc."

Jefford (2014) notes that the board "was produced in substantial quantities and it remained in service well into WWII when it was still providing a portable and self-contained navigation station in aeroplanes (like the remaining open-cockpit biplanes, and even Blenheim Mk Is) in which adequate facilities for the observer were still lacking." (p.373)

Woolrych (1995) when looking at the origins of fighter control in the RN traces its origins to Lieutenant Commander Charles Coke, Air Signals Officer who, during the Norwegian Campaign, on the Ark Royal  (a ship not fitted with radar, and relying on reports of Luftwaffe  air activity from the accompanying cruisers with their Type 79 air warning radar), without suitable facilities used a corner of the carrier’s Bridge Wireless Office, and with a telegraphist next to him telling him the incoming reports from the cruisers made the plots on a ‘Bigsworth Board’.''

Moffat, the pilot of the Swordfish that most likely launched the torpedo that damaged the Bismarck such that it was later sunk notes in his book recounting his time in FAA the importance of the Bigsworth for allowing them to find their way back to their carrier.

Bigsworth is listed in Gunston's (2009) Dictionary as an obsolete integrated chartboard, transparent overlay, parallel rules and Douglas protractor.

The Board gets a mention in the Fleet Air Arm's Song Books parody of Kipling's If:
 * ''If you can keep control of your dividers
 * ''And Bigsworth board and Gosport tube and pad;
 * ''Or listen to the wireless and pilot
 * Talking in unison — and not go mad.

Selected publications

 * Robinson, T.C.L. (Ed.), (1977) Proceedings of the XI (1975) Nobel Conference on the Future of Science, Gustavus Adolphus College, Wiley, New York (Note: in subsequent printings of this volume, Sir John Eccles was added as the primary editor: Eccles, J. C., (1977). The Future of Science: 1975 Nobel Conference (Vol. 11). John Wiley & Sons.)
 * Roberts, W. W., & Robinson, T. C. (1969). Relaxation and sleep induced by warming of preoptic region and anterior hypothalamus in cats. Experimental neurology, 25(2), 282-294.
 * Roberts, W. W., Bergquist, E. H., & Robinson, T. C. (1969). Thermoregulatory grooming and sleep-like relaxation induced by local warming of preoptic area and anterior hypothalamus in opossum. Journal of comparative and physiological psychology, 67(2p1), 182.
 * Robinson, Timothy Carl Lidfors (1972) Effect of electrical stimulation of vagus nerve afferents on food motivated behavior of cats,  Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Minnesota, 1971.

Danish dependency( –1918)

 * 1907 Overlapping profiles of Christian IX and Frederick VIII of Denmark
 * 1911 Jón Sigurðsson 100th anniversary of his birth.
 * 1912 Frederick VIII of Denmark

Kingdom of Iceland (1918–1944)

 * 1920 King Christian X (the only official King of Iceland (1918–1944)(as Kristján X))
 * 1935 Matthias Jochumsson
 * 1937 King Christian X
 * 1941 Snorri Sturluson 700th Anniversary of the Death (3 stamps issued 17th Nov. 1941)

Iceland a republic (1944–)

 * 1950 Bishop Jón Arason 400th Anniversary of Death (2 stamps issued 7th Nov. 1950)
 * 1954 Hannes Hafstein 50th Anniversary of Appointment as First Native Minister of Iceland. (3 stamps issued 1 June 1954)
 * 1957 Jonas Hallgrimsson (poet) 150th Anniversary of Birth (issued 16th Nov. 1957)
 * 1959 Jon Thorkelsson Bicentenary of his death (2 stamps issued 5 May 1959)
 * 1961 Benedikt Sveinsson and Björn M. Ólsen, to celebrate the University of Iceland (3 stamps issued 6th Oct)
 * 1963 Sigurður Guðmundsson to celebrate the National Museum (2 stamps issued 20th Feb. 1963)
 * 1965 Einar Bendiktsson (Stamp issued 16th Nov. 1965)
 * 1968 Fridrik Fridriksson (Stamp issued 5th Sept. 1968)
 * 1968 Jón Magnússon (politician), 50th Anniversary of Independence, (2 stamps issued 1st Dec. 1968)
 * 1970 Grimur Thomsen (poet) 150th Anniversary of Birth (Stamp issued 19 June 1970)
 * 1971 Tryggvi Gunnarsson To celebrate the centenary of the Patriotic Society 1871-1971 (2 stamps issued 19th Aug. 1971)
 * 1975 Hallgrímur Pétursson (poet), Árni Magnússon, Einar Jónsson and Jón Eiríksson (1728-1787) Set of 4 stamps on "Celebrities" (issued 18th Sept. 1975)
 * 1975 Bertel Thorvaldsen Celebrating the centenary of the Thorvaldsen Society (Stamp issued 19th Nov. 1975)
 * 1978 Halldor Hermannsson
 * 1979 Jón Sigurðsson and Ingibjörg Einarsdóttir Centenary of both of their deaths (Stamp issued 1st Nov. 1979)
 * 1980 Jon Sveinsson (Nonni) and Gunnar Gunnarsson writers (2 Stamps issued 28 April 1980)
 * 1982 Þorbjörg Sveinsdóttir a famous Icelander (Stamp issued 8th Sept. 1982)
 * 1983 Kristjan Eldjarn
 * 1987 Rasmus Kristjan Rask to mark his birth Centenary
 * 1999 Composer Jon Leifs
 * 2002 Halldor Laxness
 * 2002 Sesselja Sigmundsdottir Advocate for Mentally Handicapped founder of Sólheimar
 * 2004 Hannes Hafstein
 * 2007 Jonas Hallgrimsson
 * 2007 Frederick VIII of Denmark Royal Visit of 1907