▁War , ▁through ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Britain ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁The ▁Bl itz . ▁On ▁ 1 2 ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁he ▁was ▁promoted ▁Act ing ▁Major - General ▁to ▁command ▁ 1 st ▁AA ▁Division , ▁making ▁him ▁the ▁most ▁senior ▁T A ▁officer ▁in ▁Anti - A ircraft ▁Command ▁( and ▁the ▁third ▁most ▁senior ▁active ▁T A ▁officer ▁during ▁the ▁war ). ▁ ▁In ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁improved ▁gun ▁control ▁rad ar ▁was ▁beginning ▁to ▁be ▁introduced ▁to ▁H AA ▁units . ▁To ▁make ▁best ▁use ▁of ▁this ▁equipment , ▁the ▁commander - in - ch ief ▁of ▁AA ▁Command , ▁Lieutenant - General ▁Sir ▁Frederick ▁(' Tim ') ▁P ile , ▁ordered ▁the ▁operators ▁to ▁send ▁their ▁plots ▁to ▁the ▁Gun ▁Oper ations ▁Ro oms ▁( G OR s ) ▁where ▁the ▁data ▁could ▁be ▁integrated . ▁The ▁system ▁proved ▁no ▁better ▁than ▁the ▁old ▁methods ▁and ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁Wh itt aker , ▁who ▁carried ▁out ▁his ▁own ▁experiments ▁in ▁ 1 st ▁AA ▁Division ▁and ▁developed ▁new ▁methods ▁for ▁' un seen ' ▁fire . ▁He ▁convinced ▁P ile ▁to ▁restore ▁fire ▁control ▁to ▁the ▁gun ▁sites ▁themselves , ▁using ▁their ▁own ▁rad ar ▁plot ters . ▁ ▁On ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁Wh itt aker ▁became ▁Major - General , ▁General ▁Staff ▁( ch ief ▁of ▁staff ) ▁to ▁P ile , ▁with ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁Tem por ary ▁Major -