Lacey Green Windmill, Buckinghamshire




Some Links to Web Sites about Sir Barnes Neville Wallis


by Michael G Hardy,  originally compiled on 26th July 2006


Christopher Wallis was the fourth and youngest child of Sir Barnes Neville Wallis. Christopher's character, determination, and inventive skills must owe a great deal to his father, but Christopher was always disappointed that Sir Barnes was mainly known for his work on bombs, including of course, the bouncing bombs of the Dambusters.
His early working life had been in designing ships and airships, including the R100 built with his Geodetic structure technique, also used in many aircraft such as the Wellington.
His later working life (as Head of R&D for Vickers-Armstrong) took him to supersonic transport, swing-wing aircraft, and a whole variety of other technologies, now accepted as part of the modern world.

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Credit © Science Museum / Science & Society Picture Library - All rights reserved.

This 1965 photo shows Sir Barnes Wallis with reminders from many aspects of his inventive career.


Sir Barnes was born in 1887, did not retire until 1971, and died in 1979, eight years after work started on Lacey Green windmill. He would therefore have been well aware of the scheme to save the windmill that his younger son had embarked upon, at the age of 36.
I have therefore compiled a list of some web sites where you can read about Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, so you can hopefully find out more about the variety of projects in which he was involved.
Inevitably, since first compiling this list in 2006, some have disappeared, so they have either been removed from this list, or marked: [not now available]

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The following are in no particular order (but if you only look at one, then I recommend the first on the list):
(all the links on this page are set to open in new windows or tabs)

sirbarneswallis.com ~ Iain Murray is a lecturer at Dundee University, and one of his heroes is Sir Barnes Wallis. His website on Barnes Wallis is now under its own domain, and contains an amazing amount of information on all aspects of the work of Sir Barnes Wallis. It also includes an incredibly compehensive list of places where you can read about or find items associated with Barnes Wallis. Iain Murray deserves congratulations on his vast website. (www.sirbarneswallis.com)

Barnes Wallis Foundation ~ This was established in 2014, replacing the Barnes Wallis Memorial Trust which had been founded in 1986. They aim to inspire, inform, and educate people about the work and achievements of Sir Barnes Wallis. Amongst its trustees are Christopher Wallis's sister (Mary) and son (Humphrey). (www.barneswallisfoundation.co.uk)

Effingham ~ The Surrey Village where Sir Barnes Wallis lived. (www.effingham.co.uk) [not now available]

Royal Observer Corps Association ~ Some history starting with Sir Barnes Wallis's birthplace at Ripley in Derbyshire. (www.rocassoc.org.uk/open/items/gr08/barnes_wallis.htm)

Science and Society Picture Library ~ Images from the Science Museum Library, many showing Sir Barnes Wallis's study (In Feb 2018 there were 19 images available.  From Home Page search for: Sir Barnes Wallis (www.scienceandsociety.co.uk)

BBC History ~ Brief History of Sir Barnes Wallis's work. (www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/wallis_neville_barnes.shtml)

Wikipedia article ~ Wikipedia article on Barnes Wallis. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_Wallis)

Biography Online article ~ Biography Online article on Barnes Wallis. (https://www.biographyonline.net/military/barnes-wallis.html)

Famous People article ~ The Famous People article on Barnes Wallis. (https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/barnes-wallis-6442.php) ~ It is probably easier to read this as the pdf version, available underneath the photo of Barnes Wallis

National Portrait Gallery images ~ Images of Sir Barnes Wallis at the National Portrait Gallery. (https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/person/sir-barnes-neville-wallis)

Lucy Moorcraft's Project on Barnes Wallis ~ A 2001 project from a Bristol University undergraduate (www.chm.bris.ac.uk/webprojects2001/moorcraft/Barnes Wallis.htm) [not now available]

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This page ( SirBNW.php ) was last updated on 15 February 2018.


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