XN000022-1988-02-28 — Page 2

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1988

SENIOR CARTOGRAPHER RETIRES AFTER MERITORIOUS SERVICE

IT IS NOT OFTEN ONE WANDERED INTO A PROFESSION, IT FOR OVER 40 YEARS AND WAS RECOGNISED

MERITORIOUS PRESTIGIOUS PROFESSIONAL BODIES.

FOR

STAYED IN SERVICE

BY

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED TO MR HAL EMPSON, SENIOR CARTOGRAPHER THE SURVEY AND MAPPING OFFICE, BUILDINGS AND LANDS DEPARTMENT, RETIRED AS HEAD OF ITS CARTOGRAPHIC UNIT LAST WEEK.

OF

WHO

SOCIETY JOHN

LAST YEAR, THE UNIT WON THE BRITISH CARTOGRAPHIC

AWARD AND THE HIGHLY COMMENDED CATEGORY OF THE

AWARD IN THEMATIC CARTOGRAPHY IN INTERNATIONAL

DESIGN BARTHOLOMEW COMPETITIONS.

-

COMPLEXION

WATER

BORN IN SURREY, UNITED KINGDOM, MR EMPSON'S TANNED AND VIGOROUS PHYSIQUE ACQUIRED FROM PLENTY OF OUTDOOR AND SPORTS ACTIVITIES BELIES HIS 60 YEARS. HIS INTRODUCTION TO HIS WORK WAS ALMOST AS CASUAL AS HIS MANNERISMS.

—

LIFE

TRAINEE

THE

WITH BARELY A YEAR OF TRAINING UNDER HIS BELT AS A ESTATE SURVEYOR, HE DECIDED IT WAS NOT QUITE HIS SCENE AND JOINED ORDNANCE SURVEY IN 1945 AS A TRAINEE MAPPING SURVEYOR/DRAUGHTSMAN.

HALF

SCHOOL SURVEY

CALLED UP FOR NATIONAL SERVICE IN 1946 FOR TWO AND A YEARS IN ROYAL ENGINEERS, HE UNDERWENT FURTHER TRAINING AT THE OF MILITARY SURVEY, WHERE THE SELECTION CRITERION ON WHO DID OR CARTOGRAPHY/AIR SURVEY WAS ON THE BASIS OF "THOSE WHO COULDN'T DRAW

THE CAREERS OF MR EMPSON AND HIS DECIDED.

PEERS

DID SURVEY

IP

•

THUS WERE

WHERE PRODUCING ARAR-ISRAELI

ITS ARMY CARCER SAW HIM SERVING IN THE SUEZ CANAL ZONE HE WORKED ON MAPS OF PARTS OF PALESTINE

(NOW ISRAEL) AND AER-PHOTO MOSAICS OF SENSITIVE AREAS INVOLVED IN THE CONFLICT.

WITH THE AFRICAN

THEN BACK AS A CIVILIAN HE BECAME A CARTOGRAPHER DIRECTORATE OF OVERSEAS SURVEYS PRODUCING MAPS OF THE CONTINENT; THEN AS A OFL COMPANY CARTOGRAPHER PRODUCING EXPLORATION AND GROLOGICAL MAPS AND DIAGRAMS OVER WIDE AREAS OF THE MIDDLE EAST.

IN 1952. HE JOINED THE OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVICE AS CARTOGRAPHER WITH THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF TANGANYIKA ENDING UP CHIEF CARTOGRAPHER IN 1964 WHEN HE HAD TO RETIRE AFTER INDEPENDENCE.

·

OTL

A

AS

+

BACK TO THE U.k AT THE AGF OF 36 WITH A GOLDEN HANDSHAKE A NOMENAL PENSION OF FIVE POUND STERLING PER WEEK, HE WAS ALSO JOBLESS WITH A WIFE AND TWO YOUNGSTERS,

PLUS

/BUT THE