IET: RAF engineer named as Churchill Medal winner

An RAF engineer, whose work has resulted in a reduction of casualties from improvised explosive devices in Afghanistan, has won a prestigious engineering award.

Flight Lieutenant David Ramsey from RAF Leeming in Northallerton was named as the winner of the Churchill Medal, which is supported by the Institution of Engineering and Technology.

He has been rewarded for his outstanding engineering professionalism in the disciplines of requirement analysis, system engineering and project management. His work has provided an innovative information management solution to support Counter Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) operations in Afghanistan.

His solution to the problem of transferring information between key personnel led to a significant increase in the number of IED makers being detained. This has reduced the threat to Coalition Forces and the Afghan population.

Mark Organ, IET Head of Membership, said: “I would like to personally congratulate Flight Lieutenant Ramsey on his achievement and look forward to seeing him officially presented with the award.”

First presented in 1952, previous recipients of the Churchill Medal include Sir Frank Whittle who is credited with inventing the turbojet engine and Sir Geoffrey de Havilland, the British aviation pioneer.

The Churchill Medal reflects achievement in engineering and technical advancement in support of military operations for those serving within the British Armed Forces.

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Notes to editors:
The Churchill Medal is awarded by the IET, the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Institution of Royal Engineers and the Society of Operations Engineers.
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