 Born in 1909 into a family of scientists, he served as a captain in the Second World War, before receiving his doctorate from Oxford University and later becoming professor of mathematical physics at the Royal Military College of Science in Shrivenham.His published works became popular in schools during the 1970s and were the standard textbooks used by A-level students for several years; they are still used in Far Eastern schools today.He was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire and died of a sudden heart attack at his home in Highworth, close to Swindon.