Allen Coombs: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|British electronics engineer}} |
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| name = Allen Coombs |
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| birth_name = Allen William Mark Coombs |
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'''Allen William Mark (Doc) Coombs''' (23 October 1911 |
'''Allen William Mark (Doc) Coombs''' (23 October 1911 – 30 January 1995) was a British electronics engineer at the [[Post Office Research Station]], [[Dollis Hill]]. |
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Coombs was one of the principal designers of the Mark II or production version of the [[Colossus computer]] used at [[Bletchley Park]] for codebreaking in World War II, and took over leadership of the project when [[Tommy Flowers]] moved on to other projects. Professor [[Brian Randell]] was researching the history of computer science in Britain for a conference on the history of computing held at the [[Los Alamos National Laboratory]], New Mexico on 10-15 June 1976, and got permission to present a paper on wartime development of the COLOSSI at the [[Post Office Research Station]], Dollis Hill (in October 1975 the British Government released a series of captioned photographs from the Public Record Office). The interest in the “revelations” in his paper resulted in a special evening meeting when Randell and Cooombs answered further questions. Coombs later wrote that ''no member of our team could ever forget the fellowship, the sense of purpose and, above all, the breathless excitement of those days''. In 1977 Randell published an article ''The First Electronic Computer'' in several journals. {{efn|B. Randell: ''The First Electronic Computer:'' ''New Scientist'', 10 February 1977 & ''IBM UK News,'' 4 March 1967 }} <ref> COLOSSUS and the History of Computing: Dollis Hill’s Important Contribution'' by A.W.M. Coombs in The Post Office Electrical Engineers’ Journal (POEEJ; Volume70, 1977/78 part 2, July 1977, pages 108-110) </ref> |
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Later at Dollis Hill Coombs worked on the [[Automatic Computing Engine#MOSAIC|MOSAIC]] machine. Coombs headed the scientific side of R14, the division working on [[optical character recognition]] for [[postal mechanisation]], which moved to the new BT Research Centre at [[Martlesham]] in Suffolk. His work on [[pattern recognition]] led to the development of an early postcode-reading machine. |
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==References== |
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''The Making of Colossus'' by A.W.M. Coombs in: Annals of the History of Computing Volume 5 No. 3 (pp 253-259, 1983) |
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He frequently lectured on pattern recognition using the concept of multi-dimensional space, and the '[[caltrop]]', and would demonstrate the presence of feature-detection in the human visual system by means of a flash gun, the persistence of vision in the audience leading them to observe disintegration of a character fragment by fragment. 'Doc' Coombs was notable for a facial 'tic', which gave him something of the appearance of the 'mad professor', and these days would probably be classed under [[Tourette's syndrome]]. |
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==Notes== |
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{{reflist|group=note}} |
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{{notelist}} |
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==Further reading and references== |
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<references/> |
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{{Citation | last = Coombs | first = Allen W. M. | author-link = Allen Coombs | title = The Making of Colossus | journal = [[IEEE Annals of the History of Computing]] | volume = 5 | issue = 3 | pages = 253–259 |date=July 1983 | url = http://www.ivorcatt.com/47d.htm | doi=10.1109/MAHC.1983.10085| s2cid = 597530 }} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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*{{Citation | last = Randell | first = Brian | author-link = Brian Randell | title = Allen W. M. "Doc" Coombs | date = 5 February 1995 | url = http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Coombs.html | accessdate = 19 October 2012 }} |
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*[http://ei.cs.vt.edu/~history/Coombs.html Article by Brian Randall] |
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*{{Citation | last1 = Randell | first1 = Brian | author-link = Brian Randell | last2 =Fensom | first2 =Harry | last3 = Milne | first3 =Frank A. | title = Obituary: Allen Coombs | newspaper = The Independent | date = 15 March 1995 | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-allen-coombs-1611270.html | accessdate = 19 October 2012 }} |
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*[http://calbears.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19950315/ai_n13971432 Obituary in The Independent] |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coombs, Allen}} |
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[[Category:1911 births]] |
[[Category:1911 births]] |
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[[Category:1995 deaths]] |
[[Category:1995 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Bletchley Park people]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:British electronics engineers]] |
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[[Category:Civil servants in the General Post Office]] |
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[[Category:Computer hardware engineers]] |
[[Category:Computer hardware engineers]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:History of computing in the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:20th-century British engineers]] |
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[[no:Allen Coombs]] |
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Latest revision as of 04:54, 18 April 2023
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (February 2013) |
Allen Coombs | |
|---|---|
| Born | Allen William Mark Coombs 23 October 1911 |
| Died | 30 January 1995 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | English |
| Occupation | Electronics Engineer |
Allen William Mark (Doc) Coombs (23 October 1911 – 30 January 1995) was a British electronics engineer at the Post Office Research Station, Dollis Hill.
Coombs was one of the principal designers of the Mark II or production version of the Colossus computer used at Bletchley Park for codebreaking in World War II, and took over leadership of the project when Tommy Flowers moved on to other projects. Professor Brian Randell was researching the history of computer science in Britain for a conference on the history of computing held at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico on 10-15 June 1976, and got permission to present a paper on wartime development of the COLOSSI at the Post Office Research Station, Dollis Hill (in October 1975 the British Government released a series of captioned photographs from the Public Record Office). The interest in the “revelations” in his paper resulted in a special evening meeting when Randell and Cooombs answered further questions. Coombs later wrote that no member of our team could ever forget the fellowship, the sense of purpose and, above all, the breathless excitement of those days. In 1977 Randell published an article The First Electronic Computer in several journals. [a] [1]
Later at Dollis Hill Coombs worked on the MOSAIC machine. Coombs headed the scientific side of R14, the division working on optical character recognition for postal mechanisation, which moved to the new BT Research Centre at Martlesham in Suffolk. His work on pattern recognition led to the development of an early postcode-reading machine.
He frequently lectured on pattern recognition using the concept of multi-dimensional space, and the 'caltrop', and would demonstrate the presence of feature-detection in the human visual system by means of a flash gun, the persistence of vision in the audience leading them to observe disintegration of a character fragment by fragment. 'Doc' Coombs was notable for a facial 'tic', which gave him something of the appearance of the 'mad professor', and these days would probably be classed under Tourette's syndrome.
Notes
[edit]- ^ B. Randell: The First Electronic Computer: New Scientist, 10 February 1977 & IBM UK News, 4 March 1967
Further reading and references
[edit]- ^ COLOSSUS and the History of Computing: Dollis Hill’s Important Contribution by A.W.M. Coombs in The Post Office Electrical Engineers’ Journal (POEEJ; Volume70, 1977/78 part 2, July 1977, pages 108-110)
Coombs, Allen W. M. (July 1983), "The Making of Colossus", IEEE Annals of the History of Computing, 5 (3): 253–259, doi:10.1109/MAHC.1983.10085, S2CID 597530
External links
[edit]- Randell, Brian (5 February 1995), Allen W. M. "Doc" Coombs, retrieved 19 October 2012
- Randell, Brian; Fensom, Harry; Milne, Frank A. (15 March 1995), "Obituary: Allen Coombs", The Independent, retrieved 19 October 2012
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