![]() ![]() This work brought him into contact with some prominent physicians, pathologists, surgeons and biochemists and one of the latter, Dr (now Professor) Michael Crawford of the Nuffield Institute of Comparative Medicine, offered him a bench in his department which specialised in the study of the chemistry and nutritional implications of fatty acids in the diet. Returning to England in 1969, he joined a tiny company in Piccadilly organising clinical trials of a diet developed for NASA for astronauts. ![]() The following two years at Tokyo and Waseda Universities gave him some understanding of research in Japan and the language respectively. His professional life began as a chemist and, in 1966, he was awarded a doctorate of the University of Paris (mention très honourable) for research on the chemistry of plant products carried out at one of Europe's oldest organic chemistry laboratories in the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle under Professor Charles Mentzer. He had the opportunity to hear and observe the V-1 flying bomb ("Doodlebugs") and V2 rockets and was able to compare and contrast their effects.įascination with the technology of warfare, its causes and its effects upon the cultures of the people involved, has remained with him. On one occasion Alford found a complete flying bomb engine in Epping Forest. Alford's interest in explosives and pyrotechnics was born. His searches rewarded him with the occasional magnalium incendiary bomb of which the bodies later provided a welcome source of metal for his earliest fireworks. Returning to Ilford (1942, aged 7) he experienced more aircraft bombs, usually dropped under cover of night, and he started a collection of fragments of bombs and of anti-aircraft shells. During the early stages of the Second World War he moved with his family to Bournemouth on the south coast where "tip and run" German aircraft raids introduced him to machine gun fire and air-dropped bombs. Alford's equipment was used to support operations in Afghanistan in countering the threat from Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).Īlford was born in Ilford, a suburb of London, and was one of two children. Alford's explosive charges are some of the most highly regarded in the industry and are said to have saved many lives. He also developed the renowned Dioplex linear cutting charge, and Vulcan shaped charge. Īlford is considered the pioneer in water projecting disruptors driven by high explosive. In 2015 he was awarded the OBE in Her Majesty the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to explosive ordnance disposal. Dr Alford was the Chairman of Alford Technologies Limited, a world-leading provider of explosive engineering and explosive charge technology, that he founded in 1985. Sidney Christopher Alford OBE (11 January 1935 – 27 January 2021 ) was an inventor, explosives engineer and a doctor of chemistry. Chairman at Alford Technologies, explosives engineer, and inventor ![]()
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