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John Blashford-Snell

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Colonel
John Blashford-Snell
OBE
Born 22 October 1936(1936-10-22) (age 89)
Place of birth 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 of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department.[2][3] 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.[5]

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'". http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3655611/I-often-think-I-must-be-mad.html. 
  2. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=SVs2x%2F7EPH9ChmHvhdTs3A&scan=1. Retrieved 9 May 2016. 
  3. ↑ "No. 34207". 11 October 1935. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34207/page/ 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "College Characters - Colonel Blashford-Snell". 24 September 2002. http://www.thisisjersey.co.uk/victoriacollege/snell.html. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Calkin, Jessamy (5 December 2015). "Col John Blashford-Snell: the last of the great adventurers". http://s.telegraph.co.uk/graphics/projects/john-blashford-snell/index.html. 
  6. ↑ "No. 41191". 4 October 1957. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41191/page/ 
  7. ↑ "No. 41780". 4 August 1959. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/41780/page/ 
  8. ↑ "No. 43071". 2 August 1963. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43071/page/ 
  9. ↑ "No. 44754". 31 December 1968. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/44754/page/ 
  10. ↑ "No. 46953". 6 July 1976. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/46953/page/ 
  11. ↑ "No. 49237". 18 January 1983. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/49237/page/ 
  12. ↑ "No. 52792". 14 January 1992. https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/52792/page/ 
  13. ↑ "About the SES". The Scientific Exploration Society. http://www.ses-explore.org/about. 
  14. ↑ This is North Devon
  15. ↑ Royal Automobile Club
  16. ↑ "John Blashford-Snell". http://www.johnblashfordsnell.org.uk/biography/. 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. http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=X3oYR%2Bb5JxekVTwMIp2awQ&scan=1. Retrieved 9 May 2016. 
  25. ↑ "Index entry". FreeBMD. ONS. http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=vUw%2BWIv5Af%2ByLXK4rcGXuA&scan=1. Retrieved 9 May 2016. 

External links[]

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