In 1929 Schallamach received his Diplom Ingenieur in electrical engineering, having studied at technical high schools in Zurich and Breslau.
He completed his doctoral dissertation at the University of Breslau in 1934 but had to leave Germany as a Jewish refugee before receiving his degree.
[3] After immigrating to the United Kingdom, Schallamach obtained a position at the Davy Faraday Laboratory of the Royal Institution, researching crystal structure at low temperatures.
Schallamach is widely known for his observation of the occurrence of waves of detachment during abrasion experiments with rubber.
Über die Temperaturabhängigkeit der Elektronenaustrittsarbeit und des lichtelektrischen Effekts reiner Metalloberflächen bei tiefen Temperaturen (in German).