At the end of a conference held in London in June 1957 to discuss the avoidance of collision at sea and in the air, it was recommended that the three sponsoring bodies (the British and French Institutes of Navigation and the Ausschuss für Funkortung) should set up a representative Working Group to study the desirability of amending the Collision Regulations to take into account the use of radar.

The Group, which was formed in January 1958, was composed of the following members, not all of whom were able to attend every meeting: Commander P. C. H. Clissold (School of Navigation, University of Southampton), Captain W. H. Coombs (Honourable Company of Master Mariners, Barrister at Law), Captain R. Dublineau (Compagnie Générale Transatlantique), Captain P. Dupuy (Compagnie des Chargeurs Réunis), Captain H. Giessler (Ausschuss für Funkortung), Captain H. D. Harries (Regierungedirektor beim Bundesminister für Verkehr), Vice-Admiral K. Hoffman (Bundesverkehrsministerium), Professor P. Hugon (Professor Général d'Hydrographic, Rear Admiral, Ret.), Captain E. H. Ketels (Verband Deutscher Radar), Captain Le Bihan (Compagnie des Messageries Maritimes), Captain G. Lohmnitz (Norddeutscher Lloyd, Bremen), Captain P. Marchand (Ocean Weather Ship Service), Dr. F. W. Marienfeld (Bundesverkehrsministerium), Captain D. G. Tait (Honourable Company of Master Mariners), President Dr. R. Vogler (Bundesoberseeamt, Hamburg), Captain F. J. Wylie, R.N. (Director, Radio Advisory Service), Captain C. J. Wynne-Edwards, R.N. (Director, Compass Department, Admiralty Compass Observatory). The members of the Group served only in a personal capacity.