Guy Bomford
BrigadierGuy BomfordOBEFGSFRASFRICS(28 June 1899 – 10 February 1996; also published asG. Bomfordor simplyG.B.[a]) was a Britishgeodesistwho, at various times in his career, worked for both theSurvey of Indiaand theCorps of Royal Engineers.He is best known forGeodesy,a textbook he wrote, as well as his work in military surveying and mapping.[1][2]From 1963 to 1967 he served as the president of theInternational Association of Geodesy;[3]the association's Guy Bomford Prize is named for him.[4]
Guy Bomford was born on 28 June 1899 inTemple Ewell;[5]: 382 his father wasGerald Bomford,a surgeon who encouraged Guy in science, and his mother was Mary Florence Eteson. Bomford later won a scholarship toMarlborough College.He was commissioned to theRoyal Engineersin 1917 after leaving theRoyal Military Academy, Woolwich.[1]Fighting inWorld War I,he went toFrancewith the 94 Field Company, but remained at the base for the duration of the war. He was later posted toIndia,where he experienced fighting on thefrontierwithAfghanistan,and was the only officer to survive a particular encounter.[1]
In 1921, Bomford joined theSurvey of India,with which he remained—with one break—until theoutbreak of World War II.During his break from 1922–1924, he studied for an engineering degree atQueens' College, Cambridge;[6]he graduated from Cambridge withfirst class honors with distinction.Later, during theSecond World War,he was again affiliated with the Royal Engineers and was involved in mapping of theMiddle EastandBurma.He served as Director of Survey,South East Asia Commandin 1946, and retired from the army within the next few years.[b]
Following his military career, Bomford was appointed asreaderinsurveyingandgeodesyat theUniversity of Oxford,where he was a senior member ofBrasenose College.[6]He also pursued education atthe Queen's College,and received aMaster of Artsdegree from Oxford in 1948 as well as aDoctor of Sciencedegree in 1953.[5]: 382 He retired from his post as reader in 1966, and became anemeritus.[8]
He died on 10 February 1996 inSutton Courtenay.[5]: 384 During his career, he received the following honors:
- Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society(FRAS, 1936)[c]
- Officer of the Order of the British Empire(OBE, 1946)[8]
- Fellow of the Geological Society(FGS, 1947)[5]: 382
- Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors(FRICS, 1950)[6]
Notes
[edit]- ^See, for example the preface toGeodesy,2nd ed. orG.B. (1967)."Dr. J. de GRAAFF-HUNTER, C.I.E., Sc.D., F.R.S."Survey Review.19(144): 50–51.Bibcode:1967SurRv..19...50..doi:10.1179/sre.1967.19.144.50.
- ^His year of retirement is given in sources as various dates 1947 through 1949.[1][7]
- ^His election was proposed in 1935,[9]though he was not confirmed a Fellow until 1936.[10]
References
[edit]- ^abcdRobbins, A.(October 1996)."Guy Bomford MA DSc OBE".Survey Review.33(262): 563–564.Bibcode:1996SurRv..33..563R.doi:10.1179/sre.1996.33.262.563.
- ^Olliver, J. G. (April 1997)."The Bomford Memorial Symposium".Survey Review.34(264): 132.Bibcode:1997SurRv..34..132O.doi:10.1179/sre.1997.34.264.132.
- ^Drewes, Hermann; Kuglitsch, Franz; Adám, József; Rózsa, Szabolcs (October 2016)."The Geodesist's Handbook 2016".Journal of Geodesy.90(10): 907–1205.Bibcode:2016JGeod..90..907D.doi:10.1007/s00190-016-0948-z.
- ^"Guy Bomford Prize".International Association of Geodesy.Retrieved9 February2024.
- ^abcdBamford, C. P. (2005).The Bomford Family.The Irish Bomfords.
- ^abc"Guy Bomford tribute".The Irish Bomfords.Retrieved9 February2024.
- ^"BOMFORD, Col Guy (1899-1996)".Archives Hub.Retrieved9 February2024.
- ^ab"Deceased Fellow: Brigadier Guy Bomford".Indian National Science Academy.Retrieved9 February2024.
- ^"Preface".Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.96(1): 1. November 1935.Bibcode:1935MNRAS..96....1..doi:10.1093/mnras/96.1.1.
- ^"Preface".Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.96(3): 151. January 1936.Bibcode:1936MNRAS..96..151..doi:10.1093/mnras/96.3.151.
Further reading
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- Officers of the Order of the British Empire
- Fellows of the Royal Astronomical Society
- 1899 births
- 1996 deaths
- People from Dover District
- People from Sutton Courtenay
- British geodesists
- British surveyors
- 20th-century British non-fiction writers
- Royal Engineers officers
- British Army personnel of World War I
- British Army personnel of World War II
- People educated at Marlborough College
- Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
- Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge
- Alumni of the Queen's College, Oxford
- Academics of the University of Oxford
- Geodesy stubs
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- British academic biography stubs