Cecil Henry Cunnington B.Sc.

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Timeline

Date Details
1889 Born June 7th.
1910 Joined Survey.
1914-1917 Military Service.
1918 Died April 26th.

Biographies and obituaries

Obituary - Cecil H. Cunnington. Died 26th April 1918. Proceedings of the Geologists Association. v. 30 p.95. 1919

Publications

From BGS Library catalogue

Eastwood, T. Gibson, W.. Cantrill, T.C.. Whitehead, T.H.. Cunnington, C.H.. Thomas, H.H.. 1923. The geology of the country around Coventry, including an account of the Carboniferous rocks of the Warwickshire Coalfield. Explanation of sheet 169 (with contributions by HH Thomas and CH Cunnington) Mem Geol Surv G B (Sheet) (London). - London: HMSO. - (Memoir (Sheet) Geological Survey of GB (England & Wales) - (New Series)

Barrow, G.. Gibson, W. Cantrill, T.C.. Dixon, E.E.L.. Cunnington, C.H.. Eastwood, T.. Hill, J.B.. Pringle, J.. 1919. The geology of the country around Lichfield, including the northern parts of the South Staffordshire and Warwickshire Coalfields. Explanation of sheet 154 (with contributions by JB Hill, T Eastwood and J Pringle). - London: HMSO. - (Memoir (Sheet) Geological Survey of GB (England & Wales) - New Series) -

Strahan, A. Holmes, T.V. Dewey, H.. Cunnington, C.H. King, W.B.R. Simmons, W.C. Wray, D.A.. 1916. On the thicknesses of strata in the counties of England and Wales exclusive of rocks older than the Permian. - London: HMSO. - (Memoir (District) Geological Survey of GB)

BGS archives

GSM/GL/Cu C H Cunnington


Cecil Henry Cunnington (1889-1918)

Cecil Henry Cunnington (1889-1918) by Andrew Morrison

C H Cunnington (of whom we do not have a photograph) was born on 7 June 1889. In 1909 he obtained a first class honours degree in Geology from University College, London. Cunnington joined the Geological Survey of Great Britain in 1910 and spent much of the next four years surveying an area bordering the Warwickshire Coalfields. An obituary in the Proceedings of the Geological Society later referred to this as "excellent work".

He had joined the Officer's Training Corps before the outbreak of the First World War so entered the army soon after it began. In 1915 he was sent to Gallipoli on special military duty along with two other former staff from the Geological Survey, R W Pocock and T H Whitehead.  The work they did was related to trying to find an adequate water supply for the troops there. An unpublished report on the geology of the Gallipoli peninsula was produced for the War Office. Sadly, it is now untraceable.   After returning from Gallipoli, Cunnington joined the Machine Gun Corps and served in France. He was invalided out of the army in 1917 and later underwent a major operation. He suffered a relapse and died on 26 April 1918.

During the war 29 staff from the Geological Survey and Museum joined the armed forces. They consisted of 14 geologists, 3 fossil collectors, 2 general assistants, 3 attendants, 4 draughtsmen, 2 labourers and 1 assistant clerk. Cecil Cunnington holds the unfortunate distinction of being the only one of those who did not survive the war.

For a detailed study of the terrain at Gallipoli see Doyle, P & Bennett, M R 1999. "Military Geography: the influence of terrain in the outcome of the Gallipoli Campaign, 1915". Geographical Journal, 165, p12-35

You can find out more about the Geological Survey and the First World War in the paper "Some aspects of the British Geological Survey’s contribution to the war effort at the Western Front, 1914–1918" by D G Bate and A L Morrison. This can be downloaded here

Spink. Auction: 17002 - Orders, Decorations and Medals. Lot: 177

"Cecil Henry 'Harry' Cunnington was born on 7 June 1889 and was educated at University London School and University College, London, where he was awarded a scholarship and gained a 1st Class Degree in geology.

Commissioned 2nd Lieutenant direct from the O.T.C. in November 1914, he gained an appointment in the 8th Battalion, Wiltshire Regiment in January 1915. He was subsequently embarked as a geological expert on the recommendation of the Geological Survey to the Dardanelles, where he served on attachment to the Royal Engineers in Gallipoli.

On returning to England, Cunnington trained as a machine-gun officer and went to France in 215th Company, M.G.C., in early 1917. As a consequence of ill-health, however, he was invalided home before the year's end and relinquished his commission that October. According to his obituary notice on University College School's Roll of Honour 1914-1918, his illness stemmed from his service in Gallipoli.

Cunnington died on 26 April 1918 and is buried in Hampstead Cemetery."