Elizabeth Killick

Naval engineer, who led the Admiralty underwater weapons department that transformed defence systems of the time.

Engineering Achievements

Elizabeth Audrey (Betty) Killick's team led the UK's development of homing, propulsion, and guidance systems for torpedoes which were to be deployed as Spearfish in submarines, and the smaller Sting Ray light torpedo in helicopters and aircraft. Spearfish and Sting Ray (continuously developed since Betty's time in charge) are still in active service.

Although most of her work was highly classified, she reached the highest level of recognition as an engineer through her election to the Fellowship of Engineering in 1982 (now the Royal Academy of Engineering) and two Honorary degrees from the Universities of Strathclyde and St. Andrews.

Her Life

1. 1924 Born on 10 September in 17 Dumbarton Road, Brixton Hill, London to George Killick, Chartered Accountant and Elizabeth Baines
2. 1942 Age: 18 Joined Women's Auxiliary Air Force as a radar mechanic
3. 1951 Age: 27 Graduated from University of St Andrews in natural philosophy (physics)
4. 1951 Age: 27 Joined the Admiralty Signals and Radar Establishment, near Portsmouth.
5. 1966 Age: 42 Promoted to the Civil Service grade of Senior Principal Scientific Officer
6. 1967 Age: 43 On 8 March read a paper on Radar Techniques at a meeting of the Portsmouth and District Physical Society
7. 1969 Age: 45 Transferred to the Admiralty Underwater Weapons Establishment, which had absorbed the Torpedo Experimental Establishment staff from Greenock ten years earlier
8. 1969 Age: 45 Five papers as lead author and two as co-author to the 1st European Microwaves Conference, 8th-12th September
9. 1976 Age: 52 Promoted to Deputy Chief Scientific Officer and Head of the Underwater Weapons Department at AUWE.
10. 1980 Age: 55 Fellow of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
11. 1982 Age: 57 elected to the Fellowship of Engineering (now Royal Academy)
12. 1984 Age: 60 Retired from the Civil Sevice and joined GEC (briefly)
13. 1988 Age: 63 Honorary DSc, University of Strathclyde conferred on 8 July
14. 1998 Age: 74 Honorary Doctorate conferred by the University of St. Andrews
15. 2019 Age: 94 Died on 7 July in Stoughton, West Sussex, England

Legacy

Betty Killick's research and development work on Spearfish and Sting Ray torpedoes formed the basis for the much developed family of underwater weapons that still uses these generic names, a remarkably long life in a fast moving area. Her links to Scotland began during her education at St Andrew's University, consolidated with Honorary Degrees from St Andrew's and Strathclyde Universities and circled back to the deployment of her original research on torpedoes used on the latest submarines based in HM Naval Base Clyde (Faslane). 

More Information

A.E. Killick and D.E.N.Davies (1966) Electronically Scanned Antenna Systems: Pt2.  Advisory Group for Aerospace Research and Development, NATO, Index of Publications (1952-1970). Part 1. Abstract Section. National Technical Information Servcie, US Dept of Commerce. p226.

G. T. Colley, J. A. Eddies, B. R . Gladman and A. E. Killick (1967) An Electronically Steered Radar Aerial. JRNSS Vol 22, No 2 

Croney J., Killick E.A., Foster D (1969) A temperature independent frequency scanning antenna,  1st European Microwave Conference. 

Small, B.I.; Killick, E.A., Croney, J. (1969) A cylindrical array for electronic scanning, 1st European Microwave Conference, 133–136.

EA Killick, H Salt, NE Porter. (1969) The Design of Waveguide Arrays Providing Sum and Difference Beams and Suitable for Scanning in One Plane, 1st European Microwave Conference

EA Killick, KA Zoledziowski (1969) Radiation of Dual Polarisation from Linear Arrays, 1st European Microwave Conference

EA Killick, GJ Colley, WD Delany (1969) A Ferrite Controlled Phase Scanning Microwave Antenna, 1st European Microwave Conference

EA Killick (1969) Scanning and active antennas, 1st European Microwave Conference

EA Killick, GJ Colley, JA Eddles (1969) The Design and Production of Latched Ferrite Phase Shifters for Electronic Scanning and for High Power,1st European Microwave Conference 

The Glasgow Herald. (9 July 1988) Strathclyde Principal sees Safer Future in use of nuclear power (list of graduands).

The Times (3 August 2019) Terrifying naval engineer who liked a pint and developed radar and torpedoes. Dr Elizabeth Killick obituary

Nina C Baker (2019) Engineer of the Week No. 80: Elizabeth (Betty) Audrey Killick. Magnificent Women in Engineering

Sarah Moorhouse (2023) Killick, Elizabeth Audrey (Betty). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (free to access for UK library card holders)

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