Another maverick down

[Andy Smith]

It must have been in 96 when I met a HALO man in Angola. We hardly hit it off. Well, he was a maroon beret with an attitude and I was a yoghurt knitting peacenik so that is no great surprise – but we did respect each other’s gift of the gab even then. He moved to NPA to do survey and we saw each other again while I was running around the country doing my thing over the next few years. Then we met again in Kosovo in 2000 when he was managing the DCA struggle to find mines with incapable detectors – when he introduced the use of light rakes to remove leaf litter with great success. He moved on NPA in Sri Lanka, then Sudan, then became their PM in Sri Lanka and we met when I was doing the manual demining study for the GiHAD. After we had discovered a shared delight in British banter – we started to get along well. I working for him in 2005 in Lanka, and later again when he was UNDP in Angola, NPA in Jordan, an independent in Myanmar, and NPA in Palau.

 

I gained the greatest respect for the fact that he always retained a hands-on approach that meant he never asked field people to do something he had not done himself. He had the magic of leadership that meant he could build a team so that people under him did their best because they did not want to let him down. They respected him without fearing him. Perhaps this is the best that a military background can bring? He was also open minded – willing to take any challenge and learn new skills (he even did his EOD-3 training with Ben in Kosovo just a year or so ago). But OK, his keyboard skills really were not the best.

 

Those who know him will know I am talking about Luke. That is Stephen (Luke) Atkinson. Past tense because Luke died with a colleague on Saturday in an explosion in the Solomon Islands. He was not a lot younger than me and not relishing the years, but still – he should have gone with more grace than this. All life is risk management. He had successfully managed his risks over many years in a wide variety of challenging environments but finally made the stupid mistake. All of us who have been hands-on have made mistakes, so let no one cast any stones, please.

 

Few people in demining have been real friends to me – but Luke became one despite the fact that I was the subject of some of his better jokes. An inspired maverick, he could talk the night away with barbed mimicry and well aimed snipes at everyone, including those who presume authority from their slippery chairs. He could charm the donors and hold his own in any company but still insisted on retaining a hands-on touch. They don’t make them like him any more.

 

There is almost no one left from the ‘earlies’ now - how dare he damn well die!

 

May his son be consoled by the fact that his father was a remarkably good man.

 

Regards to all,

Andy

www.nolandmines.com
www.ddasonline.com

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[Rae McGrath]

Thanks Andy,

A good farewell message for a colleague and friend. I think I only met Luke once and didn't really know him but, as you say, he was one of the dwindling band and it's sad to hear he went the hard way. RIP and condolences to his family.

Rae

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From: demi...@googlegroups.com <demi...@googlegroups.com> on behalf of Andy Smith <a...@nolandmines.com>
Sent: Sunday, September 20, 2020 9:14:25 PM
To: demining <demi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [HD] Another maverick down

 

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[Robert Keeley]

Terrible news. He certainly was a character.

Any news on who the colleague was? On what happened?

Bob

On 20 Sep 2020, at 22:16, Andy Smith <a...@nolandmines.com> wrote:



[Andy Smith]

Thanks Rae.

 

That’s one who I will sorely miss. Actually, I would probably miss you too – but that’s the bunny in me speaking (Luke would like that).

 

Bob,

it is on the NPA site now so I can say that the man with him was an Aussie named Trent Lee who I understand was EOD qualified but do not know anything else. Meantime, the details of the accident are still ‘uncertain’ – a police investigation is ongoing.

 

I do not know if there will be an HMA investigation because there is no MAC there and NPA is the only agency in country. COVID will make it awkward to send anyone in, but it could be done with a two week delay because the Solomon Islands locked down at the start so quarantine is obligatory.

 

Regards

Andy.

 

 

 

www.nolandmines.com
www.ddasonline.com

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/demining/8B217080-68E6-4961-8D37-F34F8C5D7683%40gmail.com.

[Aksel Steen-Nilsen]

Thanks Andy,

 

Like yourself I knew Luke well, both as a friend and as a colleague and I full heartedly concur with your description of Luke and what a great person he was. Luke will be dearly missed.

 

NPA is currently trying to get a better overview of both what actually happened as well as to what extent there can be done any HMA investigation due to the lack of a Mac and as well the very strict Covid-19 regulations in place both at the Solomon Islands and elsewhere making it extremely difficult to bring in anyone from outside. There is currently a Solomon Islands Police investigation being conducted and we will now await their preliminary findings and conclusion before deliberating on the next possible steps from NPA side. In the meantime we are doing what we can to take care of the next of kin involved, as well as our staff in Solomon Islands.

 

Best regards,

Aksel

 

From: demi...@googlegroups.com [mailto:demi...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Andy Smith
Sent: 21. september 2020 03:14
To: demining <demi...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [HD] Another maverick down

 

It must have been in 96 when I met a HALO man in Angola. We hardly hit it off. Well, he was a maroon beret with an attitude and I was a yoghurt knitting peacenik so that is no great surprise – but we did respect each other’s gift of the gab even then. He moved to NPA to do survey and we saw each other again while I was running around the country doing my thing over the next few years. Then we met again in Kosovo in 2000 when he was managing the DCA struggle to find mines with incapable detectors – when he introduced the use of light rakes to remove leaf litter with great success. He moved on NPA in Sri Lanka, then Sudan, then became their PM in Sri Lanka and we met when I was doing the manual demining study for the GiHAD. After we had discovered a shared delight in British banter – we started to get along well. I working for him in 2005 in Lanka, and later again when he was UNDP in Angola, NPA in Jordan, an independent in Myanmar, and NPA in Palau.

 

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[Richard Boulter]

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/demining/D8A026704DE44D78A7B3B80E753765B0%40AndyPC.

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Richard Boulter

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[Tim Horner]

Andy

Very well put and an excellent eulogy for a larger than life fella. 

I’ve communicated a lot with Luke recently and my only positive thoughts on his abrupt exit from our ranks are that, given a choice,  I think he would have preferred not to have just faded away into obscurity. 

RIP Luke.  

Tim 

Sent from my iPad

On Sep 21, 2020, at 3:16 AM, Andy Smith <a...@nolandmines.com> wrote:



[William Waddilove]

The news of the explosion was mentioned on the BBC radio 4 News this morning at 7.00am (or it might have been earlier). It sounded big. But not other details that I caught.

William

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