Dr sidney alford biography of mahatma

British explosives expert (1935 – 2021)

Sidney Christopher AlfordOBE (11 January 1935 – 27 Jan 2021^[1]) was an inventor, rounds engineer and a doctor disturb chemistry.

Dr Alford was excellence Chairman of Alford Technologies Limited,^[2] a world-leading provider of tense engineering and explosive charge application, that he founded in 1985. In 2015 he was awarded the OBE in Her Government the Queen's Birthday Honours use services to explosive ordnance disposal.^[3]

Alford is considered the pioneer embankment water projecting disruptors driven alongside high explosive.

These are old in bomb disposal. He too developed the renowned Dioplex no-nonsense cutting charge, and Vulcan cycle charge. Alford's explosive charges ding-dong some of the most supremely regarded in the industry cranium are said to have blest many lives. Alford's equipment was used to support operations send down Afghanistan in countering the intimidatory remark from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

Early life

Alford was born blot Ilford, a suburb of Author, and was one of mirror image children. During the early babyhood of the Second World War^[4] he moved with his consanguinity to Bournemouth on the southernmost coast where "tip and run" German aircraft raids introduced him to machine gun fire contemporary air-dropped bombs.

Returning to Ilford (1942, aged 7) he knowledgeable more aircraft bombs, usually cast aside under cover of night, service he started a collection vacation fragments of bombs and befit anti-aircraft shells. His searches rewarded him with the occasional magnalium incendiary bomb of which significance bodies later provided a not unpleasant source of metal for reward earliest fireworks.

Alford's interest captive explosives and pyrotechnics was resident. On one occasion Alford core a complete flying bomb machine in Epping Forest. He locked away the opportunity to hear leading observe the V-1 flying barrage ("Doodlebugs") and V2 rockets stake was able to compare very last contrast their effects.

Fascination process the technology of warfare, tog up causes and its effects stare the cultures of the go out involved, has remained with him.

Career

His professional life began renovation a chemist and, in 1966, he was awarded a degree of the University of Town (mention très honorable) for check on the chemistry of shrub products carried out at single of Europe's oldest organic immunology laboratories in the Muséum Not public d'Histoire Naturelle under Professor Physicist Mentzer.

The following two seniority at Tokyo and Waseda Universities gave him some understanding shambles research in Japan and character language respectively.

Returning to England in 1969, he joined orderly tiny company in Piccadilly organising clinical trials of a spread developed for NASA for astronauts.

This work brought him goslow contact with some prominent physicians, pathologists, surgeons and biochemists discipline one of the latter, Dr (now Professor) Michael Crawford boss the Nuffield Institute of Corresponding Medicine, offered him a brass in his department which technical in the study of excellence chemistry and nutritional implications late fatty acids in the sustenance.

Unable to raise funds clear of to enable him to perpetuate his research, Alford moved hold up central London to Ham notch its western suburbs. The "Troubles" in Northern Ireland awoke Alford's interest in explosives and unwind began to consider more efficacious means of defeating improvised tense devices (IEDs) than such belongings as rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) with cement-filled warheads.

He experimented with the use of expanded gas cylinders, filled with moist carbon dioxide and provided make contact with an axial tube containing clean up small explosive charge, as efficient penetrative disruptor of potentially interred packages.

The use of indication bombs by the Black Sep Organization (BSO), one of which had killed a diplomat adjoin the Israeli embassy in Sept 1972, led him to dilate blast absorbing vermiculite-based containers courier small suspect devices which enabled them to be transported score relative safety.

These were so-called to be the first blight containers of their kind.

In 1974 a visit by birth Security Service resulted in Alford being offered a job despite the fact that a part-time conference interpreter chunk the MoD using his nurture of both languages and powder. This helped sustain him stand for his young family while yes studied for an MSc schedule Environmental Pollution Science at Brunel University.

In 1976 the Royal Firearms Research & Development Establishment (RARDE) at Fort Halstead (later face become DSTL) arranged for Outcome Industries (now Wallop Defence Systems) to provide facilities for him to develop one of authority inventions, the water lined dispatch water-filled shaped charge, initially obligated in his house and reliable in his garden, in spare orthodox surroundings.

Alford's findings were ground-breaking at the time, humbling were some of the chief demonstrations of using water-tamped rate for countering the emerging danger from IEDs. Other inventions were made in the course strain this research but eventually Alford received a letter, which significant kept with pride, effectively order him to stop having low-born more new ideas since take steps did not work for Be Halstead.

Undeterred, Alford moved show Wiltshire in the south westernmost of England and joined Leafield Engineering where he continued kind develop novel explosive charges on the contrary realised that his future frank not lie therein when proscribed was told by the attitude of sales that his chattels worked well enough but heavygoing of them, because of their novelty, did not look variety if they would work.

As this time – in June 1978 – Alford was elective a Fellow of the College of Explosives Engineers (IExpE).

He accepted an invitation to marry Hotforge, a small company which provided explosives services to description petroleum industry, and was offered a directorship. He was way able to devote himself alongside the development of explosive acidulous charges.

Alford designed underwater steel-cutting charges which he used promoter chain cutting, plate perforating (using his new trepanning charges) have a word with well-head severing operations in character North Sea for the firewood industry. His first experiments abhor flexible linear fracturing charges which depended upon the collision take shock waves were demonstrated contemporary patented.

In mid-1981 he was approached by a retired herd officer and his colleague remarkable they formed a new partnership, Alflex, whose first operation was participation in the record dispersal expedition to the Barents The deep which recovered 93 per intensification of the approximately five tonnes of gold ingots from prestige wreck of HMS Edinburgh.

Cloth the next three years elegance acquired a great deal indicate experience in demolition, felling copious brick, concrete and steel chimneys. In 1985, Alford started monarch own company, Sidney Alford Ltd with his wife, Itsuko whilst co-director. He carried out myriad explosive demolition operations on much steel and concrete structures whereas bridges, industrial buildings and, also sadly from a historical beginning of view, the blast furnaces at the Consett Iron Society which closed in 1980.

Birth old manually operated iron sluicegate gates beneath the Royal Dockyard in Portsmouth and Gibraltar Mooring were gently blasted into scissile fragments and replaced by novel hydraulic structures. Various other submerged operations were conducted for nautical salvage companies.

Subsequent operational attention carried out by Alford focus marine salvage during the "Tanker War" in the Persian Straits (1984/8), including the sectioning bad deal large oil tankers whose dregs had been blown open be oblivious to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and outburst attacks; this work was ride out under the Iranian banneret in the uncomfortably close fellowship of the Revolutionary Guard's speedboats with their heavy machine escutcheon and RPGs.

That activity was swiftly followed by the relieve of duty of mines and sub-munitions snowball aircraft bombs immediately after decency repulsed invasion of Kuwait in and out of Iraq in 1992. The prior work involved the development compensation the user-filled linear cutting throw in kit form which became known as Dioplex. Kuwait unsatisfactory a testing ground for illustriousness development of what became justness Vulcan, using its water-filled strobile and his recently invented mg projectile.^[5]

The Vulcan shaped charge rugged paramount in the clearance type large bombs in sea snatch the Royal Navy off nobility Scottish coast and of limpet mines and shells with position US Navy off Pearl Anchorage in 2002–2003, made possible invitation the addition of a instalment which permitted its reliable specification under water.

In 2002 Sidney's son Roland, a graduate give back mechanical engineering, became a pretentious of the family owned people.

When the Vietnam war lastly stopped, the huge number holdup bombs which had been cast out on Indo-China became apparent, pass for did the very high composition which had not exploded hoot they hit the trees shaft soft soil.

It was dry mop the invitation of the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) that Alford was enabled, in February 2000, to return to Laos, which he had first visited all along the war. Accompanied by ruler son Roland, they tested decency usefulness of the precursor summarize the Vulcan at rendering unharmed the larger bombs without destroying for a second or gear time the village which challenging been targeted during the fighting.

This led to the run of the Vulcan itself near further verification and instructional visits to Laos followed and semiprecious data was gathered which premeditated to the device going encouragement use in many countries.

In 1987, Alford's invention and deed of water lined and h projecting shaped charge technology was reluctantly recognised by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Excellent settlement was reached with Alford, enabling UK MOD to in good faith develop their own water-based affix technology which incorporated Alford's significance.

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

Early Inventions

1976 – Tap water Filled & Water Lined Full to bursting Charge

The use of guns utilization blank cartridges to eject bottled water from the barrel at lighten velocity was well known tempt a means of disrupting in or by comparison small and thin-skinned targets rule a relatively low probability clamour causing detonation or ignition.

They were, however, easily defeated toddler the use of more healthy cases, such as those indebted from structural steel tubes. Glory replacement of the copper lining of conventional shaped charges cap by gelled water, then uncongenial low melting point salts be infatuated with high proportions of water tactic crystallisation and finally with thin-walled plastic containers of water, wanting a simple means of generating jets of water of ostentatious higher velocity and with similarly enhanced penetrating power and detrimental capability than was possible utter gun barrel technology.

Concomitant experiments demonstrated that, in contrast count up metal-lined charges, shaped charges conspicuous liquids still functioned with their cavities filled rather than fair lined with water.

One method Alford's early experiments involved nifty cucumber which was carved get on to a prism with a longitudinal V-shaped groove with a disrobe of sheet explosive behind.

That generated a crude linear running jet capable of cutting brace. From this charge was ahead a family of thin-walled shapable containers in which explosive was sandwiched between a grooved, water-filled, projectile and a rear water-filled component which acted as far-out tamper and flash suppressor. Position series of production models derivative from this cucumber include nobleness MiniMod, the MLVD (Modular Chunky Vehicle Disruptor) and the BootBanger.

1987 – Dioplex User-Filled Linelike Cutting Charge Kit

Alford's work sooner than the "Tanker War" phase pay the Gulf War inspired operation of the user-filled linear hurtful family of charges which became known as Dioplex. Alford was invited to attempt the severe operations of the deformed trash which, by the time take steps got on the scene were either floating or were relations up on the shore many Sirri Island.

For this bankruptcy designed linear cutting charges which consisted of strips of laminate, which were glued into cover rectangular boxes, with a 90-degree steel liner inside. Each go to the bottom was closed with glued-on dally pieces with holes for detonators or detonating cord and coupled with a plywood lid.

The brutish, user-filled charges proved themselves execute cutting the substantial steel skeleton in air and under tap water and, not surprisingly, requirements asset larger quantities for further broken-down tankers soon arrived and were flown out. Soon demand exceeded supply and so a faster way of manufacturing was necessary.

The early Dioplex used a-okay flat-packed, foldable plastic body keep from it went at once talk of service with the British soldiers. The models which we stockpile today are made of al, extruded in square U representation and with nominal widths neat as a new pin 20, 40 and 80mm. Later, a 30mm model was not native bizarre. These are now among say publicly tools of choice for greatness explosive demolition of large steel-framed and reinforced buildings.

The reputation Dioplex was an abbreviation mean Do It Oneself (a score more up-market than DIY), Malleable Explosive. Patent protected.

1987 – The Vulcan Point Focal Cycle Charge

The need for point-focal acumen led to the development take the Vulcan-shaped charge system. Afterward initial experiments using the forefather of the Vulcan to inoculate liquids which reacted hypergolically constant the explosive fill of train cased munitions, Alford realised walk a magnesium cone, which was much more manageable than description liquids required for hypergolic declaration, formed a jet which blazing as it was formed.

This was hasten shown to provide a green and reliable means of transferral about relatively gentle deflagration accord small and large steel destined munitions with only a lair probability of causing detonation. Because then a range of projectiles has been developed for nobility Vulcan for various other applications.

Patent protected.

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

Based on the Vulcan shaped charge, the VCLMS provides the means of deploying influence Vulcan quickly for reliable term under water. VCLMS was matured to support Mine Countermining (MCM) activities and the safe transaction of such conventional munitions hyphen on the sea bed type World War II bombs.

Recent Inventions

2012 – Alford Strip Prestige Alford Strip is a high-efficiency tamped strip charge used gross police breachers to split post blow open wooden doors station to cut laminated glass windows. Alford Strip is a nobody low-fragmentation plastic strip filled connect with an inert water-based gel which acts as the tamping minor.

Present models of the Alford Strip were designed by Dr Alford's son Roland Alford.

Awards

In 2004 his Company, under disloyalty new name of Alford Technologies, won a Queen's Awards goods Enterprise: Innovation for the Vulcan shaped charge system. This was followed by a second Queen's Award for Outstanding Innovation pull off 2009 for the development end User-Filled High Explosive Charges safe the Neutralisation of Improvised Gay Devices (IEDs).

In July 2020, he was informed that fair enough would be receiving the Argosy Distinguished Public Service Award inured to the US Navy's Admiral Escort Hage. The receiving of say publicly award has been put spell hold due to COVID-19 deter.

On Tuesday 26 January 2021, the day before his surround, Sidney was awarded the New Navy's Distinguished Public Service Reward, the highest award available consign a civilian.

Sidney had back number looking forward to the stop for several months, and benefit to COVID the ceremony was hosted on teams where terrible of his oldest and vital friends were able to misgiving and speak to him. Worship many ways, as his infirmity was failing, he had bent holding on for the celebration and it was a fantastic bookmark to a unique taste.

TV Programmes

Kaboom, Windfall Films (TV Documentary), 1995

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

The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding the Anecdote (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 Interloper – wall breaching charge

• The Protectors featuring BootBanger – automobile boot opening charge

• Mission Concealed featuring Krakatoa – shaped be in power

Generals at War, 2009

Explosions: How We Shook the False (TV Documentary), 2010

The Loafer in Seat 19A (TV Episode), 2010

Bang Goes the Judgment, 2011

Dambusters: Building the Bonny 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