William Joseph Stern OBE, ARCS, BSc, DIC (1891–1965) was a physicist who worked closely with the early development of the jet engine.
In 1920, Stern reported to the Royal Air Force that there was no future for the turbine engine in aircraft.
Stern's paper proved to be so convincing there ceased to be any official interest in gas turbine engines in Britain for several years.
The latter (when Junkers was under Nazi control), and Messerschmitt, made him several very lucrative offers of employment.
One of his daughters, Ann Marguerite, married the British artist and television director John Crockett (1918–1986).