L. B. C. Cunningham

Ramsay Gardens
The Ferranti Gyro Sight Mk I

Dr Leslie Bennet Craigie Cunningham FRSE OBE (1895–1946) was a 20th-century British statistician and physicist rememberred as an expert on air armaments. He was the inventor of the Gyro gunsight (GGS) in 1936. The gunsight compensates for the movement of target aircraft, predicting their position dependent upon their speed. This created an effective increase in successful targeting from 100 to 400%[1]

Life

The grave of L B C Cunningham, New Calton Burial Ground

He was born in Edinburgh the son of William Cunningham and his wife Jean Craigie.[2] They lived at 14 Ramsay Gardens at the top of the Royal Mile in Edinburgh.[3][4]

He was educated at Edinburgh Academy then from 1906 attended Sedbergh School in Yorkshire. Returning to Edinburgh to go to Edinburgh University his studies were interrupted by the First World War. He served in the King's Own Scottish Borderers then the Royal Engineers.[5] He had the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.[6] In May 1916 he was promoted to Lieutenant.[7]

He returned to Edinburgh University after the war and graduated MA BSc Maths and Physics in 1923 going on to gain a doctorate (PhD). His thesis was on the Trajectory of Falling Bombs. In 1925 he began working for the RAF as its Education Officer. In 1931 he introduced the world's first course on Advanced Air Armaments. In 1936, whilst at the Royal Aircraft Establishment he patented the Gyro gunsight, produced by Ferranti and immediately used by both the RAF and USAF.[1][5] He also worked on position-finding equipment based on mathematical predictions (a precursor to radar).

In the Second World War he was Superintendent of Air Warfare Analysis. His gunsight was brought into active use in 1941 within the Spitfire.[8] He was given the rank of Honorary Squadron Leader.[9]

In 1945 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were Sir Edmund Taylor Whittaker, Edward Copson, David Gibb and Alexander Aitken.[10]

He died at 49 Beverley Gardens[11] in Stanmore near Harrow on 31 August 1946 aged only 51.[12] He is buried with his parents in New Calton Burial Ground in Edinburgh just south of the main east-west entrance path.

Publications

  • Mathematical Theory of Combat: Air Warfare Analysis (1940)

References

  1. 1 2 World War II: The Definitive Encyclopaedia and Document Collection, Spencer Tucker
  2. ↑ Inscription on Cunningham grave, New Calton
  3. ↑ International Brewers Journal vol 41
  4. ↑ Edinburgh Post Office Directory 1895
  5. 1 2 "RSE Obituary". www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  6. ↑ London Gazette 27 October 1914
  7. ↑ Edinburgh University: Roll of Honour
  8. ↑ "Cunningham_Leslie biography". www-groups.dcs.st-and.ac.uk. Retrieved 2018-09-03.
  9. ↑ London Gazette 25 April 1939
  10. ↑ Biographical Index of Former Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1783–2002 (PDF). The Royal Society of Edinburgh. July 2006. ISBN 0 902 198 84 X.
  11. ↑ London Gazette 1947 vol4
  12. ↑ "Dr. L. B. C. Cunningham". Nature. Retrieved 2018-09-03.


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