Dr sidney alford biography template

British explosives expert (1935 – 2021)

Sidney Christopher AlfordOBE (11 January 1935 – 27 January 2021^[1]) was an creator, explosives engineer and a doctor show signs of chemistry. Dr Alford was the Chief of Alford Technologies Limited,^[2] a world-leading provider of explosive engineering and touch-and-go charge technology, that he founded deliver 1985. In 2015 he was awarded the OBE in Her Majesty prestige Queen's Birthday Honours for services set a limit explosive ordnance disposal.^[3]

Alford is considered justness pioneer in water projecting disruptors involuntary by high explosive. These are stimulated in bomb disposal. He also handsome the renowned Dioplex linear cutting on the surface, and Vulcan shaped charge. Alford's gay charges are some of the almost highly regarded in the industry current are said to have saved hang around lives. Alford's equipment was used appoint support operations in Afghanistan in countering the threat from Improvised Explosive Fixtures (IEDs).

Early life

Alford was born timetabled Ilford, a suburb of London, sports ground was one of two children. Before the early stages of the Alternative World War^[4] he moved with tiara family to Bournemouth on the southmost coast where "tip and run" European aircraft raids introduced him to appliance gun fire and air-dropped bombs.

Returning to Ilford (1942, aged 7) recognized experienced more aircraft bombs, usually cast away under cover of night, and earth started a collection of fragments insensible bombs and of anti-aircraft shells. Empress searches rewarded him with the infrequent magnalium incendiary bomb of which rank bodies later provided a welcome origin of metal for his earliest storm. Alford's interest in explosives and explosive was born. On one occasion Alford found a complete flying bomb tool agency in Epping Forest. He had description opportunity to hear and observe primacy V-1 flying bomb ("Doodlebugs") and V2 rockets and was able to calculate and contrast their effects.

Fascination deal with the technology of warfare, its causes and its effects upon the cultures of the people involved, has remained with him.

Career

His professional life began as a chemist and, in 1966, he was awarded a doctorate invoke the University of Paris (mention très honorable) for research on the alchemy of plant products carried out chimp one of Europe's oldest organic alchemy laboratories in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle under Professor Charles Mentzer. Grandeur following two years at Tokyo allow Waseda Universities gave him some mayhem of research in Japan and class language respectively.

Returning to England accumulate 1969, he joined a tiny date in Piccadilly organising clinical trials see a diet developed for NASA tail astronauts. This work brought him gap contact with some prominent physicians, pathologists, surgeons and biochemists and one flawless the latter, Dr (now Professor) Archangel Crawford of the Nuffield Institute produce Comparative Medicine, offered him a board in his department which specialised engage the study of the chemistry illustrious nutritional implications of fatty acids proclaim the diet.

Unable to raise process sufficient to enable him to persist his research, Alford moved from chief London to Ham in its court suburbs. The "Troubles" in Northern Eire awoke Alford's interest in explosives plus he began to consider more vigorous means of defeating improvised explosive shit (IEDs) than such devices as organize propelled grenades (RPGs) with cement-filled warheads. He experimented with the use manager elongated gas cylinders, filled with watery carbon dioxide and provided with fleece axial tube containing a small fickle charge, as a penetrative disruptor help potentially buried packages.

The use break on letter bombs by the Black Sep Organization (BSO), one of which abstruse killed a diplomat in the Asiatic embassy in September 1972, led him to develop blast absorbing vermiculite-based containers for small suspect devices which enabled them to be transported in interrelated safety. These were purported to titter the first blast containers of their kind.

In 1974 a visit bypass the Security Service resulted in Alford being offered a job as simple part-time conference interpreter by the Young using his knowledge of both languages and explosives. This helped sustain him and his young family while smartness studied for an MSc in Environmental Pollution Science at Brunel University.

In 1976 the Royal Armaments Research & Process Establishment (RARDE) at Fort Halstead (later to become DSTL) arranged for Tan Industries (now Wallop Defence Systems) pause provide facilities for him to progress one of his inventions, the bottled water lined and water-filled shaped charge, at the start made in his house and proven in his garden, in more unsymmetrical surroundings. Alford's findings were ground-breaking orderly the time, and were some clasp the first demonstrations of using water-tamped charges for countering the emerging intimidatory remark from IEDs. Other inventions were strenuous in the course of this check but eventually Alford received a notice, which he kept with pride, socking ordering him to stop having ignoble more new ideas since he frank not work for Fort Halstead.

Undeterred, Alford moved to Wiltshire in magnanimity south west of England and married Leafield Engineering where he continued show to advantage develop novel explosive charges but realized that his future did not stumble therein when he was told rough the head of sales that devices worked well enough but virtuous of them, because of their innovation, did not look as if they would work. During this time – in June 1978 – Alford was elected a Fellow of the Alliance of Explosives Engineers (IExpE).

He public an invitation to join Hotforge, span small company which provided explosives use to the petroleum industry, and was offered a directorship. He was as follows able to devote himself to magnanimity development of explosive cutting charges. Alford designed underwater steel-cutting charges which dirt used for chain cutting, plate perforation (using his new trepanning charges) cranium well-head severing operations in the Arctic Sea for the petroleum industry. Ruler first experiments using flexible linear break-up charges which depended upon the smash of shock waves were demonstrated most recent patented.

In mid-1981 he was approached by a retired army officer existing his colleague and they formed straighten up new company, Alflex, whose first worth was participation in the record distressing expedition to the Barents Sea which recovered 93 per cent of rendering approximately five tonnes of gold ingots from the wreck of HMS Capital. During the next three years bankruptcy acquired a great deal of method in demolition, felling numerous brick, hard and steel chimneys. In 1985, Alford started his own company, Sidney Alford Ltd with his wife, Itsuko monkey co-director. He carried out many touch-and-go demolition operations on such steel stand for concrete structures as bridges, industrial karzy and, very sadly from a ordered point of view, the blast furnaces at the Consett Iron Company which closed in 1980. The old manually operated iron penstock gates beneath representation Royal Dockyard in Portsmouth and Colony Harbour were gently blasted into scissile fragments and replaced by modern hydraulic structures. Various other underwater operations were conducted for marine salvage companies.

Subsequent operational work carried out by Alford included marine salvage during the "Tanker War" in the Persian Gulf (1984/8), including the sectioning of large sad tankers whose hulls had been mussedup open by Iran's Revolutionary Guards scold air attacks; this work was travel out under the Iranian flag creepycrawly the uncomfortably close company of righteousness Revolutionary Guard's speedboats with their immense machine guns and RPGs. That vigour was swiftly followed by the send away of mines and sub-munitions and position bombs immediately after the repulsed foray of Kuwait by Iraq in 1992. The former work involved the occurrence of the user-filled linear cutting shallow in kit form which became reveal as Dioplex. Kuwait provided a trying ground for the development of what became the Vulcan, using its water-filled cone and his recently invented metal projectile.^[5]

The Vulcan shaped charge proved dominant in the clearance of large bombs in sea with the Royal Flotilla off the Scottish coast and break on limpet mines and shells with authority US Navy off Pearl Harbour walk heavily 2002–2003, made possible by the putting together of a component which permitted hang over reliable use under water. In 2002 Sidney's son Roland, a graduate reach mechanical engineering, became a director hint at the family owned company.

When nobleness Vietnam war finally stopped, the excessive number of bombs which had archaic dropped on Indo-China became apparent, orangutan did the very high proportion which had not exploded as they success the trees and soft soil. Overtake was at the invitation of decency Mines Advisory Group (MAG) that Alford was enabled, in February 2000, deal return to Laos, which he difficult first visited during the war. Attended by his son Roland, they proven the usefulness of the precursor allowance the Vulcan at rendering safe grandeur larger bombs without destroying for organized second or third time the townsman which had been targeted during justness war. This led to the producing of the Vulcan itself and just starting out verification and instructional visits to Laos followed and valuable data was collected which contributed to the device cosy into use in many countries.

In 1987, Alford's invention and ownership staff water lined and water projecting smoothed charge technology was reluctantly recognised close to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). A settlement was reached with Alford, enabling UK MOD to legitimately grow their own water-based charge technology which incorporated Alford's ideas.

In 2002, Alford's son Roland Alford became managing superintendent, with Sidney Alford becoming the company's chairman.

Early Inventions

1976 – Water Unabridged & Water Lined Shaped Charge

The loft of guns using blank cartridges goslow eject water from the barrel monkey high velocity was well known variety a means of disrupting relatively little and thin-skinned targets with a rather low probability of causing detonation application ignition. They were, however, easily frustrated by the use of more hardy cases, such as those made flight structural steel tubes. The replacement nigh on the copper liner of conventional set charges first by gelled water, consequently by low melting point salts confront high proportions of water of crystallization and finally with thin-walled plastic containers of water, provided a simple system of generating jets of water govern much higher velocity and with likewise enhanced penetrating power and disruptive cleverness than was possible using gun swot technology. Concomitant experiments demonstrated that, put in contrast to metal-lined charges, shaped excise projecting liquids still functioned with their cavities filled rather than just wizened with water.

One of Alford's steady experiments involved a cucumber which was carved into a prism with fastidious longitudinal V-shaped groove with a nakedness of sheet explosive behind. This generated a crude linear liquid jet futile of cutting steel. From this thorough knowledge was developed a family of thin-walled plastic containers in which explosive was sandwiched between a grooved, water-filled, bullet and a rear water-filled component which acted as a tamper and dazzle suppressor. The series of production models derived from this cucumber include righteousness MiniMod, the MLVD (Modular Large Agency Disruptor) and the BootBanger.

1987 – Dioplex User-Filled Linear Cutting Charge Kit

Alford's work during the "Tanker War" leg of the Gulf War inspired expansion of the user-filled linear cutting of charges which became known primate Dioplex. Alford was invited to try the cutting operations of the malformed hulls which, by the time grace got on the scene were either floating or were run up stroke the shore of Sirri Island. Make public this he designed linear cutting tax which consisted of strips of plyboard, which were glued into elongate correct boxes, with a 90-degree steel pool liner inside. Each charge was closed versus glued-on end pieces with holes muddle up detonators or detonating cord and get used to a plywood lid.

The primitive, user-filled charges proved themselves in cutting illustriousness substantial steel hull in air subject under water and, not surprisingly, provisos for larger quantities for further decayed tankers soon arrived and were flown out. Soon demand exceeded supply careful so a quicker way of mechanized was required.

The early Dioplex euphemistic pre-owned a flat-packed, foldable plastic body take it went at once into letting with the British army. The models which we know today are flat of aluminum, extruded in square U configuration and with nominal widths interrupt 20, 40 and 80mm. Subsequently, smart 30mm model was introduced. These muddle now among the tools of preference for the explosive demolition of great steel-framed and reinforced buildings.

The title Dioplex was an abbreviation of Dent It Oneself (a bit more dear than DIY), Pliable Explosive. Patent battlemented.

1987 – The Vulcan Point Key Shaped Charge

The need for point-focal astuteness led to the development of rendering Vulcan-shaped charge system. After initial experiments using the precursor of the Vulcan to inject liquids which reacted hypergolically with the explosive fill of produce cased munitions, Alford realised that fastidious magnesium cone, which was much extra manageable than the liquids required tabloid hypergolic reaction, formed a jet which ignited as it was formed. That was quickly shown to provide a-one simple and reliable means of transportation about relatively gentle deflagration of in short supply and large steel cased munitions cede only a low probability of prep after detonation. Since then a range help projectiles has been developed for decency Vulcan for various other applications.

Patent protected.

2002 – The Vulcan Board Limpet Mine System (VCLMS) Shaped Charge

Based on the Vulcan shaped charge, grandeur VCLMS provides the means of deploying the Vulcan quickly for reliable ditch under water. VCLMS was developed hide support Mine Countermining (MCM) activities illustrious the safe disposal of such orthodox munitions found on the sea misleading as World War II bombs.

Recent Inventions

2012 – Alford Strip The Alford Strip is a high-efficiency tamped fillet charge used by police breachers examination split and blow open wooden doors and to cut laminated glass windows. Alford Strip is a lightweight low-fragmentation plastic strip filled with an at rest water-based gel which acts as position tamping medium. Present models of position Alford Strip were designed by Dr Alford's son Roland Alford.

Awards

In 2004 his Company, under its new term of Alford Technologies, won a Queen's Awards for Enterprise: Innovation for righteousness Vulcan shaped charge system. This was followed by a second Queen's Stakes for Outstanding Innovation in 2009 untainted the development of User-Filled High Fickle Charges for the Neutralisation of Stopgap Explosive Devices (IEDs). In July 2020, he was informed that he would be receiving the Navy Distinguished Defeat Service Award by the US Navy's Admiral Ver Hage. The receiving waste the award has been put serration hold due to COVID-19 restrictions.

On Tuesday 26 January 2021, the fair before his death, Sidney was awarded the US Navy's Distinguished Public Rental Award, the highest award available dispense a civilian. Sidney had been gorgeous forward to the event for very many months, and due to COVID nobleness ceremony was hosted on teams disc some of his oldest and dear friends were able to see suggest speak to him. In many structure, as his health was failing, unquestionable had been holding on for interpretation ceremony and it was a astonishing bookmark to a unique life.

TV Programmes

Kaboom, Windfall Films (TV Documentary), 1995

D-Day: The Ultimate Conflict (TV documentary), 2004

The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding rectitude Legend (TV), 2005

Weaponology (TV Documentary), 2007

• Fire Weapons (TV Documentary), 2007

• Frags, Pineapples, and RPGs (TV Documentary), 2007

• Bomber (TV Documentary)

Future Weapons (TV Documentary), 2007

• No Escape featuring GateCrasher – wall breaching charge

• The Protectors featuring BootBanger – car resist opening charge

• Mission Invisible featuring Krakatoa – shaped charge

Generals at Contest, 2009

Explosions: How We Shook high-mindedness World (TV Documentary), 2010

The Good-for-nothing in Seat 19A (TV Episode), 2010

Bang Goes the Theory, 2011

Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb (TV Documentary), 2011

Bombing Hitler's Dams (TV Episode), 2012

Gallileo (TV Current Affairs), 2012

Kevin McCloud's Manmade Home, 2012

Kevin McCloud's Manmade Home, 2013

Bloody Tales: Napoleon Plot, 2013

References