John Blashford-Snell

Colonel
John Blashford-Snell
OBE
Birth name John Nicholas Blashford-Snell
Born (1936-10-22) 22 October 1936
Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Allegiance  United Kingdom
Service/branch  British Army
Years of service 1954-1991
Rank Colonel
Service number 453555
Unit Royal Engineers
Royal Pioneer Corps
Spouse(s) Judith Sherman

Colonel John Nicholas Blashford-Snell OBE (born 22 October 1936) is a former British Army officer, explorer and author. He founded Operation Raleigh and the Scientific Exploration Society.[1]

Early life and education

John Nicholas Blashford-Snell was born on 22 October 1936 in Hereford, England, the son of the Reverend Leland John Blashford-Snell (1903 - 1978) of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department[2][3] and Gwendoline Ives Sadler. Blashford-Snell grew up in Herefordshire and Jersey and was educated at Victoria College, Jersey from 1950.[4][5] Blashford-Snell joined the British Army and attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst as an officer cadet after which he was commissioned into the Royal Engineers on 2 August 1957.[6]

Military service

Having served his initial two years of his commission as a Second Lieutenant Blashford-Snell was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 2 August 1959[7] and then Captain after four years on 2 August 1963.[8] Further promotion followed to the rank of Major on 31 December 1968[9] and Lieutenant Colonel on 30 June 1976[10] before reaching his final rank of Colonel on 30 June 1982 having been transferred to the Royal Pioneer Corps.[11] After 37 years of service Blashford-Snell retired from the British Army on 30 December 1991.[12]

Expeditions

In 1969 Blashford-Snell founded the Scientific Exploration Society.[13]

Amongst his expeditions were the first descent of the Blue Nile during which he invented white water rafting 'by accident' (in 1968); crossing of the Darién Gap (1971 to 1972) and overseeing the first north–south vehicular journey from Alaska to Cape Horn; and a complete navigation of the Congo River (in 1974 to 1975).[4] He was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1974[14][15] and the Livingstone Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in recognition of his leadership of the expeditions.[16]

In 1978 Blashford-Snell established Operation Drake, which later developed into Operation Raleigh, an educational initiative for young people, of which he was Director General until he retired from this post in 1991.[17]

In 1993 Blashford-Snell was awarded the Patron's Gold Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.[18]

In 2006 Blashford-Snell helped the London hatmakers James Lock & Co. to design a hat to meet the needs of explorers.[19] Since 2001 he has been the Hon. Life President of the Centre for Fortean Zoology.[20] He is also a member of the Ghost Club.[21] In 2010 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University[22]

His publications include an autobiography, Something Lost Behind the Ranges (1994).

Blashford-Snell has been a member of The Explorers Club since 1974. In 1992, he was awarded the Sweeney Medal in honour of his outstanding contributions to the welfare and objectives of the organisation.[23]

Personal life

Blashford-Snell married Judith Sherman in 1960.[24][25] They had met whilst Blashford-Snell was still at Sandhurst; Sherman was attending the women's officer training unit. They have two daughters, Victoria and Emma.[26]

Works

References

  1. ↑ Leonard, Tom (29 September 2006). "'I often think I must be mad'". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  3. ↑ The London Gazette: no. 34207. p. 6379. 11 October 1935.
  4. 1 2 "College Characters - Colonel Blashford-Snell". Jersey Evening Post. 24 September 2002. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. ↑ Calkin, Jessamy (5 December 2015). "Col John Blashford-Snell: the last of the great adventurers". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41191. p. 5759. 4 October 1957.
  7. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 41780. p. 4876. 4 August 1959.
  8. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 43071. p. 6526. 2 August 1963.
  9. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 44754. p. 13911. 31 December 1968.
  10. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 46953. p. 9284. 6 July 1976.
  11. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 49237. p. 750. 18 January 1983.
  12. ↑ The London Gazette: (Supplement) no. 52792. p. 497. 14 January 1992.
  13. ↑ "About the SES". The Scientific Exploration Society. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
  14. ↑ This is North Devon
  15. ↑ Royal Automobile Club
  16. ↑ "John Blashford-Snell". Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  17. ↑ About Operation Raleigh
  18. ↑ Gold Medal Recipients, Royal Geographical Society, accessed 25 January 2010
  19. ↑ Country Life, "Hats off Blashers", 29 June 2006
  20. ↑ Permanent Directorate, Centre for Fortean Zoology, accessed 25 January 2010
  21. ↑ History of the Ghost Club
  22. ↑ , Honorary Fellowships 2010, Liverpool John Moores University, accessed 7 November 2010
  23. ↑ Sweeney Medalists of the Explorers Club
  24. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  25. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Col John Blashford-Snell: the last of the great adventurers". Retrieved 2 December 2016.

External links

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