12/04/2026
Jean Laidlaw a Glaswegian born in 1919 is barely known far less celebrated in STEM circles today yet she played a key role in World War 2 in the Western Approaches Tactical Unit HQ in Liverpool. She was recruited for her maths brain while working for an insurance company and quickly became an officer in the WRNS and devised Raspberry counter measures for U boat attacks where the es**rt ships would regroup at the rear of a convoy to counter attack going against doctrine of fanning out from ahead . Jean became a chartered accountant after the war and lived in London and died in 2008. This unit was lead by Captain Gilbert Roberts and were known as Wargamers. While Roberts got recognition and a CBE Laidlaw was recognised only by her professional body, ICAEW, who immediately granted her Fellowship status when she qualified as an accountant in 1956.
