John Blashford-Snell

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Colonel John Nicholas Blashford-Snell Template:Postnom (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[2] in Hereford, England, the son of Alderman the Reverend Leland John Blashford-Snell (1903–1978), MBE, Prebendary of Hereford Cathedral, and formerly of the Royal Army Chaplains' Department,[3][4] and Gwendoline Ives Sadler.[5][6] Blashford-Snell grew up in Herefordshire and Jersey and was educated at Victoria College, Jersey from 1950.[7][8] 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.[9]

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[10] and then Captain after four years on 2 August 1963.[11] Further promotion followed to the rank of Major on 31 December 1968[12] and Lieutenant Colonel on 30 June 1976[13] before reaching his final rank of Colonel on 30 June 1982. After 37 years of service, Blashford-Snell retired from the British Army on 30 December 1991.[14]

He was the subject of This Is Your Life in 1976 when he was surprised by Eamonn Andrews.

Expeditions

In 1969, Blashford-Snell founded the Scientific Exploration Society.[15]

Amongst his expeditions were the first descent of the Blue Nile at the behest of Haile Selassie, 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).[7] He was awarded the Segrave Trophy in 1974[16][17] and the Livingstone Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in recognition of his leadership of the expeditions.[18]

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.[19]

In 1993, Blashford-Snell was awarded the Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society.[20]

In 2006, Blashford-Snell helped the London hatmakers James Lock & Co. to design a hat to meet the needs of explorers.[21] Since 2001, he has been the Hon. Life President of the Centre for Fortean Zoology.[22] He is also a member of the Ghost Club.[23] In 2010 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Liverpool John Moores University[24]

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 organization.[25]

Personal life

Blashford-Snell married Judith Sherman in 1960.[26][27] They had met whilst Blashford-Snell was still at Sandhurst; Sherman was attending the women's officer training unit. They have two daughters.[28]

Works

  • Where the Trails Run Out, London, Hutchinson 1974. Template:ISBN
  • In the Steps of Stanley, London, Hutchison 1975. Template:ISBN
  • Expeditions: the Experts' way, edited by John Blashford-Snell and Alistair Ballantine. London, Faber 1977. Template:ISBN
  • A taste for adventure, London, Hutchinson 1978. Template:ISBN
  • In the wake of Drake, John Blashford-Snell and Michael Cable. London, W.H. Allen 1980. Template:ISBN
  • Operation Drake, London, W.H. Allen 1981. Template:ISBN
  • The expedition organiser’s guide by John Blashford-Snell & Richard Snailham ; written for the Scientific Exploration Society. London, The Daily Telegraph, 1982.
  • Mysteries: encounter with the unexplained, London, Bodley Head 1983. Template:ISBN
  • Operation Raleigh: the start of an adventure, London, Collins 1987. Template:ISBN
  • Something lost behind the ranges: The autobiography of John Blashford-Snell, London, HarperCollins 1994. Template:ISBN
  • Mammoth hunt: In search of the giant elephants of Nepal by John Blashford-Snell and Rula Lenska. London, HarperCollins 1996. Template:ISBN
  • Kota Mama: retracing the lost trade routes of ancient South American peoples by John Blashford-Snell and Richard Snailham. London, Headline 2000. Template:ISBN
  • 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. Template:ISBN
  • From Utmost East to Utmost West. Bradt 2022 Template:ISBN

References

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  1. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  4. ↑ Crockford's Clerical Directory, Oxford University Press, 1975
  5. ↑ Debrett's People of Today, Debrett's Peerage Ltd, 2006, p. 155
  6. ↑ The International Who's Who 1996-97, sixtieth edition, Europa Publications, 1996, p. 164
  7. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".Script error: No such module "London Gazette util".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ This is North Devon
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ About Operation Raleigh
  20. ↑ Gold Medal Recipients Template:Webarchive, Royal Geographical Society, accessed 25 January 2010
  21. ↑ Country Life, "Hats off Blashers", 29 June 2006
  22. ↑ Permanent Directorate Template:Webarchive, Centre for Fortean Zoology, accessed 25 January 2010
  23. ↑ History of the Ghost Club Template:Webarchive
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1"., Honorary Fellowships 2010, Liverpool John Moores University, accessed 7 November 2010
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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