Proximity fuze and Baby of the House: Difference between pages

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'''Baby of the House''' is the unofficial title given to the youngest member of the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] in the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. There are no specific duties associated with the honour.

[[ja:近接信管]]

==Australia==

A '''proximity fuse''' is a [[Fuse (explosives)|fuse]] that is designed to detonate an [[explosive]] automatically when close enough to the target to destroy it. By sending out [[radio wave]]s that are [[reflect]]ed by the target and comparing the frequency of the outgoing waves to the incoming waves, a radio proximity fuse uses the [[Doppler effect]] to determine its [[proximity]] to a target. When the incoming waves sharply decrease in frequency, the target is at its closest possible position.

In Australia the term is rarely used, as most MPs and Senators are elected usually only in their thirties and later but some prominent MPs have been elected rather early in life including Prime Ministers [[Malcolm Fraser]] and [[Paul Keating]] who were both elected at age 25 in 1955 and 1969 respectively. The current baby of the house is the 29 year old [[Kate Ellis]] ([[Australian Labor Party|Labor]], [[Division of Adelaide|Adelaide]]).

==Canada==

Before their invention, detonation had to be induced either by direct contact, time since launch, or height. All of these have significant disadvantages. Getting direct contact with a relatively small moving target is hard (even ignoring the effect of wind); to set a time- or height-triggered fuse one must measure the height of the target (or even predict the height of the target at the time one will be able to get a [[missile]] in its neighbourhood).

The currect Baby of the House for the Canadian House of Commans is Pierre Poilievre born on {{birth date and age | 1979|06|03}} who was first elected in 2004 at the age of 24.

==United Kingdom==

With a proximity fuse, all one has to worry about is getting a [[shell (projectile)|shell]] or missile on a trajectory that, at some time, will pass close by the target (that still is a significant problem).

Becoming the Baby of the House is regarded as something of an achievement, and for example, [[Jeffrey Archer]] falsely claimed to have been the youngest MP at the time of his election. However, some MPs who have held the position for a considerable period — [[Matthew Taylor (politician)|Matthew Taylor]] was the Baby of the House for over ten years — have found it somewhat embarrassing, as it may suggest that they have a lack of experience, although a perusal of the list shows that many ''babies'' in fact went on to enjoy long, significant and distinguished parliamentary careers. From August 1999 to September 2001, all three of the leaders of the main political parties had been the youngest MPs in the party when they began their political career ([[William Hague]], [[Tony Blair]], [[Charles Kennedy]]).

Of those whose age can be verified, the youngest MP since the [[Reform Act 1832]]<ref>Prior to 1832 minors could be elected; precise information on those MPs is often unclear.</ref> was [[Esmond Harmsworth, 2nd Viscount Rothermere|Esmond Harmsworth]], elected on [[15 November]] [[1919]] from [[Isle of Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Thanet]] aged 21 years 170 days. The youngest female MP was [[Bernadette Devlin McAliskey|Bernadette Devlin]], elected on [[17 April]] [[1969]] from [[Mid Ulster (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Ulster]] aged 21 years 359 days.

Use of timing to produce air bursts against ground targets requires observers to provide information for adjusting the timing. This is not practical in all situations and is slow in any event. Proximity fuses remove these problems.

The oldest '''Baby''' at first election in modern times is [[Sarah Teather]] elected in 2003 aged 29 years 109 days.

The proximity fuse was developed through a US and British collaboration during [[World War II]]. [[Vannevar Bush]], head of the US Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) during this war, credits it with three significant effects. It was important in defense from Japanese [[Kamikaze]] attacks in the Pacific. It was an important part of the radar-controlled anti-aircraft batteries that finally neutralized the German [[V1]] bomb attacks on England. Third, it was released for use in land warfare just in time for use in the [[Battle of the Bulge]], where it decimated German divisions caught in the open. The Germans felt safe from timed fire because the weather prevented accurate observation. Bush cites an estimated 7 times increase in the effect of artillery with this innovation.

===List of Babies of the House of Commons===

See: ''Pieces of the Action'' by Vannevar Bush, William Morrow and Co., inc. 1970

{| class="wikitable"

!Elected !! Name !! Constituency !! colspan=2 | Party !! Age

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1895|1895]] || [[William Charles de Meuron Wentworth-Fitzwilliam|William Wentworth-Fitzwilliam]] || [[Wakefield (UK Parliament constituency)|Wakefield]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Unionist Party}}

|22

|-

|[[West Down by-election, 1898|1898]]^b || [[Arthur Hill (politician)|Arthur Hill]] || [[West Down (UK Parliament constituency)|West Down]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1900|1900]] || [[Richard Rigg]] || [[Appleby (UK Parliament constituency)|Appleby]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|23

|-

|[[Horsham by-election, 1904|1904]]^b || [[Edward Turnour, 6th Earl Winterton|Edward Turnour]] || [[Horsham (UK Parliament constituency)|Horsham]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|21

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1906|1906]] || [[John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley|John Wodehouse]] || [[Mid Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Norfolk]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|22

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1910 (January)|1910]] || [[Charles Thomas Mills]] || [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|22

|-

|[[Hythe by-election, 1912|1912]]^b || [[Philip Sassoon]] || [[Hythe (UK Parliament constituency)|Hythe]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|23

|-

|[[North Tipperary by-election, 1915|1915]]^b || [[John Esmonde (politician)|John Esmonde]] || [[North Tipperary (UK Parliament constituency)|North Tipperary]]

{{Party name with colour|Irish Parliamentary Party}}

|21

|-

|[[North Louth by-election, 1916|1916]]^b || [[Patrick Joseph Whitty]] || [[North Louth (UK Parliament constituency)|North Louth]]

{{Party name with colour|Irish Parliamentary Party}}

|21

|-

|[[Liverpool Abercromby by-election, 1917|1917]]^b || [[Edward Stanley, Lord Stanley (1894-1938)|Edward Stanley]] || [[Liverpool Abercromby (UK Parliament constituency)|Liverpool Abercromby]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|22

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1918|1918]]¹ || [[Joseph Aloysius Sweeney]] || [[West Donegal (UK Parliament constituency)|West Donegal]]

{{Party name with colour|Sinn Féin}}

|21

|-

|[[Isle of Thanet by-election, 1919|1919]]^b || [[Esmond Harmsworth]] || [[Isle of Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Thanet]]

{{Party name with colour|Coalition Conservative}}

|21

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1922|1922]] || [[Henry Arthur Evans]] || [[Leicester East (UK Parliament constituency)|Leicester East]]

{{Party name with colour|National Liberal Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1923|1923]] || [[Charles Arthur Uryan Rhys]] || [[Romford (UK Parliament constituency)|Romford]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1924|1924]] || [[Hugh Lucas-Tooth]] || [[Isle of Ely (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Ely]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|21

|-

|[[North Lanarkshire by-election, 1929|1929]]^b || [[Jennie Lee]] || [[Lanarkshire (UK Parliament constituency)|North Lanarkshire]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1929|1929]] || [[Frank Owen]] || [[Hereford (UK Parliament constituency)|Hereford]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|23

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1931|1931]] || [[Roland Robinson, 1st Baron Martonmere|John Roland Robinson]] || [[Widnes (UK Parliament constituency)|Widnes]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[Rutland and Stamford by-election, 1933|1933]]^b || [[Gilbert James Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 3rd Earl of Ancaster|Lord Willoughby de Eresby]] || [[Rutland and Stamford (UK Parliament constituency)|Rutland and Stamford]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|25

|-

|[[Eastbourne by-election, 1935|1935]]^b || [[Charles Taylor (UK politician)|Charles Taylor]] || [[Eastbourne (UK Parliament constituency)|Eastbourne]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1935|1935]] || [[Malcolm Macmillan]] || [[Western Isles (UK Parliament constituency)|Western Isles]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|22

|-

|[[Kettering by-election, 1940|1940]]^b || [[John Profumo]] || [[Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)|Kettering]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|25

|-

|[[Berwick-upon-Tweed by-election, 1941|1941]]^b || [[George Charles Grey]] || [[Berwick-upon-Tweed (UK Parliament constituency)|Berwick-upon-Tweed]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|22

|-

|1944² || [[John Profumo]] || [[Kettering (UK Parliament constituency)|Kettering]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|29

|-

|[[Chelmsford by-election, 1945|1945]]^b || [[Ernest Millington]] || [[Chelmsford (UK Parliament constituency)|Chelmsford]]

{{Party name with colour|Common Wealth Party}}

|29

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1945|1945]] || [[Edward Carson (English politician)|Hon. Edward Carson]] || [[Isle of Thanet (UK Parliament constituency)|Isle of Thanet]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|25

|-

|[[Southwark Central by-election, 1948|1948]]^b || [[Roy Jenkins]] || [[Southwark Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Southwark Central]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|27

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1950|1950]] || [[Peter Baker (UK politician)|Peter Baker]] || [[South Norfolk (UK Parliament constituency)|South Norfolk]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|28

|-

|[[Belfast West by-election, 1950|1950]]^b || [[Thomas Teevan]] || [[Belfast West (UK Parliament constituency)|Belfast West]]

{{Party name with colour|Ulster Unionist Party}}

|23

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1951|1951]]³ || [[Tony Benn]] || [[Bristol South East (UK Parliament constituency)|Bristol South East]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|26

|-

|[[Bournemouth West by-election, 1954|1954]]^b || [[John Eden, Baron Eden of Winton|John Eden]] || [[Bournemouth West (UK Parliament constituency)|Bournemouth West]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|28

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1955|1955]]⁴ || [[Philip Clarke]] || [[Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)|Fermanagh and South Tyrone]]

{{Party name with colour|Sinn Féin}}

|21

|-

|1955⁴ || [[Peter Michael Kirk|Peter Kirk]] || [[Gravesend (UK Parliament constituency)|Gravesend]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|27

|-

|[[Bristol West by-election, 1957|1957]]^b || [[Robert Cooke (politician)|Robert Cooke]] || [[Bristol West (UK Parliament constituency)|Bristol West]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|26

|-

|[[Aberdeenshire East by-election, 1958|1958]]^b || [[Patrick Wolrige-Gordon]] || [[Aberdeenshire East (UK Parliament constituency)|Aberdeenshire East ]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|23

|-

|[[Southend West by-election, 1959|1959]]^b || [[Paul Channon]] || [[Southend West (UK Parliament constituency)|Southend West]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|23

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1964|1964]] || [[Teddy Taylor]] || [[Glasgow Cathcart (UK Parliament constituency)|Glasgow Cathcart]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|27

|-

|[[Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles by-election, 1965|1965]]^b || [[David Steel]] || [[Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles (UK Parliament constituency)|Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|26

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1966|1966]] || [[John Ryan (UK politician)|John Ryan]] || [[Uxbridge (UK Parliament constituency)|Uxbridge]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|25

|-

|[[Nuneaton by-election, 1967|1967]]^b || [[Leslie Huckfield]] || [[Nuneaton (UK Parliament constituency)|Nuneaton]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[Mid Ulster by-election, 1969|1969]]^b || [[Bernadette Devlin]] || [[Mid Ulster (UK Parliament constituency)|Mid Ulster]]

{{Party name with colour|Unity (Northern Ireland)}}

|21

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, February 1974|1974]] || [[Dafydd Elis-Thomas]] || [[Merioneth (UK Parliament constituency)|Merioneth]]

{{Party name with colour|Plaid Cymru}}

|27

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, October 1974|1974]] || [[Hélène Hayman]] || [[Welwyn and Hatfield (UK Parliament constituency)|Welwyn and Hatfield]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|25

|-

|[[Liverpool Edge Hill by-election, 1979|1979]]^b || [[David Alton, Baron Alton of Liverpool|David Alton]] || [[Liverpool Edge Hill (UK Parliament constituency)|Liverpool Edge Hill]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|28

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1979|1979]] || [[Stephen Dorrell]] || [[Loughborough (UK Parliament constituency)|Loughborough]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|27

|-

|[[Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1981 (April)|1981]]⁵^b || [[Bobby Sands]] || [[Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)|Fermanagh and South Tyrone]]

{{Party name with colour|Anti H-Block}}

|27

|-

|1981² || [[Stephen Dorrell]] || [[Loughborough (UK Parliament constituency)|Loughborough]]

{{Party name with colour|Conservative Party (UK)}}

|29

|-

|[[Fermanagh and South Tyrone by-election, 1981 (August)|1981]]⁵^b || [[Owen Carron]] || [[Fermanagh and South Tyrone (UK Parliament constituency)|Fermanagh and South Tyrone]]

{{Party name with colour|Anti H-Block}}

|28

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1983|1983]] || [[Charles Kennedy]] || [[Ross, Cromarty and Skye (UK Parliament constituency)|Ross, Cromarty and Skye]]

{{Party name with colour|Social Democratic Party (UK)}}

|23

|-

|[[Truro by-election, 1987|1987]]^b || [[Matthew Taylor (politician)|Matthew Taylor]] || [[Truro (UK Parliament constituency)|Truro]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[United Kingdom general election, 1997|1997]]⁶ || [[Christopher Leslie]] || [[Shipley (UK Parliament constituency)|Shipley]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|24

|-

|[[Tottenham by-election, 2000|2000]]^b|| [[David Lammy]] || [[Tottenham (UK Parliament constituency)|Tottenham]]

{{Party name with colour|Labour Party (UK)}}

|27

|-

|[[Brent East by-election, 2003|2003]]^b || [[Sarah Teather]] || [[Brent East (UK Parliament constituency)|Brent East]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}

|29

|-

| [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005]] || [[Jo Swinson]] || [[East Dunbartonshire (UK Parliament constituency)|East Dunbartonshire]]

{{Party name with colour|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}

|25

|}

:^b [[by-election]].

An account of the development and initial introduction of proximity fuses is given in ''The Deadly Fuze'' by Ralph B Baldwin (UK Edition published by Janes, 1980. ISBN 0 354 01234 6). Dr Baldwin was a member of the [[Johns Hopkins University]] team headed by [[Merle A Tuve]] that did most of the work.

:¹ [[Joseph Aloysius Sweeney]] did not take his seat; the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons was [[Oswald Mosley]] (Conservative, aged 22)

:² Became the youngest MP for a second time, on the death of the previous youngest MP.

:³ [[Tony Benn]] was first elected at the [[Bristol South East by-election, 1950]], aged 25, but only became the youngest MP from the 1951 general election, on the defeat of Teevan.

:⁴ Elected on an [[abstentionism|abstentionist]] ticket, [[Philip Clarke]] did not take his seat. [[Peter Michael Kirk|Peter Kirk]] was first elected at the 1955 general election, when he became the youngest MP to take his seat, but only became the youngest MP with the disqualification of [[Philip Clarke]] later in the year.

:⁵ Elected on an [[abstentionism|abstentionist]] ticket, [[Bobby Sands]] and [[Owen Carron]] did not take their seats; [[Stephen Dorrell]] remained the youngest MP actually sitting in the House of Commons.

:⁶ Although several sources claim [[Claire Ward]] was the youngest MP during this period, she was 50 days older than [[Christopher Leslie]].

{{expand list}}

== External link ==

* http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq96-1.htm gives much more information on proximity fuses

==United States==

[[Category:Artillery]]

[[Category:Rockets and missiles]]

Currently the "Baby of the House" is [[Patrick T. McHenry]] who was born on {{birth date and age|1975|10|22}}. The "Baby of the House" before McHenry who was elected at the age of 26 in [[2000]] was, [[Adam H. Putnam]] who was born on {{birth date and age|1974|07|31}} .

[[Category:Bombs]]

Currently the "Baby of the Senate" is [[John E. Sununu]] who was born on {{birth date and age | 1964|09|10}}. The "Baby of the Senate" before Sununu who was elected at the age of 38 in [[1998]] was, [[Blanche Lincoln]] who was born on {{birth date and age|1960|09|30}}

==See also==

*[[Father of the House]]

==Notes==

<div class="references-small"><references/></div>

==References==

*[http://www.election.demon.co.uk/youngmp.html Youngest Members of Parliament]<!-- contains some factual errors -->

[[Category:Parliament of the United Kingdom]]