Meetings of the IMO International Meteorological Committee (continued)

Warren's death produced a feeling of personal loss. He was a father-figure for many of us of the younger Bureau staff. As previously mentioned I have fond memories of the remarkable family of people who staffed the Bureau at that time. My visit with Normie and Edna Warren to Toronto and Washington had created a firm friendship between us and Audrey and I made several visits to their home in Melbourne where we met other members of their family. They were proud, unassuming people, typically Australian in behaviour and attitudes.

There is no doubt that Warren had won the respect and admiration of all who had met him, especially the President of IMO, the Englishman Sir Nelson Johnson, who was also President of IMC.

Dr Francis Reichelderfer had a particular affinity with Warren, probably because of the similarity of their backgrounds. Warren was about seven years older than 'Reich'. Both had been in uniform in World War I, Warren in the Australian Army and Reich in the US Navy. Reich had the advantage of having a university degree in science and training in meteorology but both he and Warren were from a similar mould, practical, decisive, energetic and capable managers. They both joined their respective meteorological services in 1938. Reich had been a meteorologist in the US Navy in the 1920s and later assumed higher responsibilities as a regular naval officer. President Roosevelt appointed him Chief of the US Weather Bureau on 15 December 1938, the year that the Public Service Board attached Warren to the Bureau to overhaul its management system.

Bureau of Meteorology