A Remarkable Kind of Hero : The Engineer Barnes Wallis
It is extremely rare for an engineer to become a celebrity. Rulers and politicians, conquerors and prophets fill the history books. Explorers and adventurers sometime become famous, while artists, authors, musicians and actors occasionally gain widespread recognition or, in exceptional cases, superstar status. Yet engineers? Engineers are by nature modest and practical men (and women), more focused on the seemingly pedestrian problems of building practical things. Yet, the name of one engineer has been remembered for his contributions to the Allied victory over Nazi Germany: Barnes Wallis While Wallis' fame can be traced back to the invention of the bouncing bombs used in the daring raid on the Ruhr Dams in May 1943 -- or more rather the popular 1955 film "The Dam Busters" that depicted that operation, Wallis was involved in many more innovative and successful projects. His curiosity and inventiveness encompassed a wide range of fields. According to the Barnes Wallis F...