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From: boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Help with Cat's Eyes Cunningham
Message-ID: <1990Jul8.053618.8521@cbnews.att.com>
Date: 8 Jul 90 05:36:18 GMT
Sender: military@cbnews.att.com (William B. Thacker)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
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From: boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert)
Well, it seems I posted an item to a different newsgroup about the
British deception in WWII where they attempted to cover the existence
of airborne radar by putting out news stories that a combination of
testing and lots of carrots had improved their pilot's night vision.
(This because the night fighters were suddenly significantly more
effective.)  They even picked one Flight Lieutenant Cunningham and had
the press dub him "Cat's Eyes."  Calling him this supposedly was worth
a right to the jaw irrespective of your rank.

I first heard the story when I was in the UK in 1960 researching the
Eagle Squadrons, and I recall reading it in several reputable sources,
including one that had pictures of the news coverage.  In my first
posting I offhandedly mentioned that I could furnish references,
because I thought the story was covered either in Anthony Cave Brown's
_Bodyguard of Lies_ or R.V. Jones' _Most Secret War_.  So, as these
things will, happen, somebody called my bluff, and *then* I looked it
up and lo and behold I had misremembered the source.

So, can any gentle reader out there get me off the hook and come up
with a reference?  It should be in some history of radar, the Blitz,
or the Bristol Beaufighter.  Many thanks.

Earl