Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Why does the Sun Shine?
The Earth seems to have been born from the star
spray of a stellar collision, but only in the realms of
imagination can her destiny be foreshadowed.
Arthur Holmes
During the Second World War, as the Blitz raged over Britain,
sixty thousand innocent civilians died and fifty thousand were
injured, either caught under a direct hit or trapped in a burning
building. Night after night the bombs rained down as more
than a million homes were destroyed, an immense amount of
damage was caused to industrial installations and many public
institutions were ravaged or obliterated. Consequently, all over
the country, teams of voluntary fire-fighters were set up to help
in emergencies. These volunteers were risking their lives. In
universities sta¬ took it in turns to sit and 'fire watch' in case
the building was bombed or set alight. Blackout instructions
were rigorously adhered to and special permission had to be
obtained before work in the laboratories could be continued
after dark.
Holmes took his turn fire watching in the Durham Science
Laboratories along with the other members of his sta¬, and
during the day he lectured large batches of RAF cadets who now
came through the department every six months as part of their
course. Unfortunately, unlike during the First World War when
the call to arms reduced student numbers and increased
 
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