How did World War I affect Rutherford’s laboratory research?

During World War I, the conflict significantly disrupted scientific activity at the University of Manchester, as the war effort virtually emptied Ernest Rutherford’s laboratory.1

Rutherford himself was diverted from his primary research to contribute to the war effort, specifically engaging in antisubmarine research. Additionally, he served as a member of the Admiralty’s Board of Invention and Research. Despite these wartime responsibilities, Rutherford managed to return to his earlier interests when time permitted, eventually leading to his 1919 discovery of how to artificially provoke a nuclear reaction in a stable element.1