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John Blashford-Snell

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Colonel

John Blashford-Snell

OBE
Birth nameJohn Nicholas Blashford-Snell
Born (1936-10-22) 22 October 1936 (age 88)
Hereford, Herefordshire, England
Allegiance United Kingdom
Service / branch British Army
Years of service1954-1991
RankColonel
Service number453555
UnitRoyal 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

  • In the Steps of Stanley, London, Hutchison 1975. ISBN 0-09-125080-3
  • Expeditions: the Experts’ way, edited by John Blashford-Snell and Alistair Ballantine. London, Faber 1977. ISBN 0-571-11116-5
  • A taste for adventure, London, Hutchinson 1978. ISBN 0-09-136010-2
  • In the wake of Drake John Blashford-Snell and Michael Cable. London, W.H. Allen, 1980. ISBN 0-352-30750-1
  • Operation Drake London, W.H. Allen, 1981. ISBN 0-491-02965-9
  • The expedition organiser’s guide by John Blashford-Snell & Richard Snailham ; written for the Scientific Exploration Society. London, Daily Telegraph, 1982.
  • Mysteries : encounter with the unexplained. London, Bodley Head 1983. ISBN 0-370-30479-9
  • Operation Raleigh : the start of an adventure London, Collins, 1987. ISBN 0-00-217624-6
  • Something lost behind the ranges :the autobiography of John Blashford-Snell. London, HarperCollins, 1994. ISBN 0-00-255034-2
  • Mammoth hunt :in search of the giant elephants of Nepal by John Blashford-Snell and Rula Lenska. London, HarperCollins, 1996. ISBN 0-00-255672-3
  • Kota Mama : retracing the lost trade routes of ancient South American peoples by John Blashford-Snell and Richard Snailham. London, Headline, 2000. ISBN 0-7472-2281-9
  • East to the Amazon : in search of Great Paititi and the trade routes of the ancients by John Blashford-Snell and Richard Snailham. London, John Murray 2002. ISBN 0-7195-6032-2

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. ^ "No. 34207". The London Gazette. 11 October 1935.
  4. ^ a b "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. ^ "No. 41191". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 4 October 1957.
  7. ^ "No. 41780". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 4 August 1959.
  8. ^ "No. 43071". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 2 August 1963.
  9. ^ "No. 44754". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 31 December 1968.
  10. ^ "No. 46953". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 6 July 1976.
  11. ^ "No. 49237". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 18 January 1983.
  12. ^ "No. 52792". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 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. ^ [1], 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.
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