Profiles
Albert Thomson GCGI - Managing Director
Albert is married with one son, Luke aged 5. Whilst serving in action in March 2003, Albert was shot several times by a Warrior-mounted Machine Gun, resulting in the loss of his left leg above knee, along with various other injuries. He left the Army as a Colour Sergeant in October 2005 having served 18 years.
Since losing his leg, Albert has raised money for the Not Forgotten Association by doing a sponsored parachute jump in August 2004 and went on to participate in the ARC Challenge 2005 with the BLESMA team, consisting of 13 other legless amputees. Sailing from the Canaries to St Lucia in 19 days, encountering high winds and tropical storms and 19 days of sea sickness! Albert has given presentations to The Royal College of Nursing Annual Conference, 3 Close Support RAMC Officers Mess and participated in a number of TV Documentaries, carried out “Extra” roles in TV programmes and Films such as Casualty, Mile High, These Foolish Things and the BBC “Shakespeare” series in 2005.
Ben Elton MCGI, PGCE - Director of Development
Married with two children, Ben left the Army as a Warrant Officer Class 1 (Regimental Sergeant Major) in August 2005 having served 22 years Colour Service. During his time with the Army Ben became a qualified instructor in Weapon Handling, Battlefield First Aid, Chemical and Biological Warfare, Camouflage and Counter Surveillance, Map Reading, Field Firing and Battlefield Noise simulation using plastic explosives and pyrotechnics. He has deployed on a number of operational tours in Northern Ireland and Iraq and has designed training and evaluation packages for Medical Units prior to their deployment. Ben now runs an organisation that trains the unemployed in Motivation, Confidence and Self Esteem, often taking his clients away from their comfort zone and testing them under difficult conditions in the Lake District.
He has been invited on a number of occasions to the RCDM Selly Oak hospital where he provides advice and guidance to evacuated casualties and their relatives. Being from a training background he is in his element when providing information relating to his disability and injuries, this includes: phantom limb pain, sporting activities after amputation, prosthetics, rehabilitation and Physiotherapy. Ben is a motivational speaker who is comfortable to discuss psychological and physical aspects of his disability with a range of audiences including high-ranking officials.
Ben recently appeared as a stunt extra in the newly released movie "Children of Men" starring Clive Owen were he simulated a traumatic above knee amputation as a result of a terrorist bomb in a public bar in London.
Tracey - UltimateFX
Alongside our own trained SFX make-up artists we have contracted the Specialist Services of Ultimate FX Ltd.
Tracey is the founding member of UltimateFx Ltd specialising in creating and providing professional realistic and effective makeup special effects for Mass Casualty Civilian Injury, Trauma, and WMD Injury Simulations for Hospital Emergency, Police/Fire Brigades, Airport Training Exercises, Drills and Council Emergency Planning Cells.
Casualty Simulation FX results in plausible realism with professional motion picture quality renderings using the best materials and methods available for creating life-like injury, trauma and disease simulations. All amputees used in casualty simulations have their own, personally crafted silicon prosthesis made by Tracey allowing efficient and quick deployment to the scene of injury while remaining covert, injecting surprise and a sense of urgency required in dealing with such situations.
Olaf Jones – Business Development Manager
Olaf was born in West Germany, hence the unusual name, in 1962 to a German mother and English father. He joined the Royal Air Force as an Aircraft Engineer at the age of eighteen, and had a very successful 20 year career until a motorcycle racing crash on the Isle of Man during the 1997 TT races put an end to that.
After leaving the R.A.F. in June 2000 he was appointed Senior Research and Development Engineer at a company specialising in motorsport suspension systems and was involved with projects as diverse as Formula 1, Formula 3000, Touring Car, Sports and GT cars and Ice and Desert Racers. Olaf is now a self employed Business Development Manager in the Medical Services industry. Olaf still rides a Suzuki GSXR1000 sports bike, as it is a passion that he will not let subside!.
Olaf has many years of experience both within the film and televisions industries, but also in the very demanding casualty simulation world. He has also been involved within the corporate training field playing casualties for industrial training films.
Anthony Tomlinson – Business Development Manager
On his return from a Tour of Duty in Bosnia in 1997, Tony was involved in an accident which resulted in the loss of his left leg. He spent 2 years at RAF Headley Court Rehabilitation Hospital and left the Forces as a Senior NCO, having served with the RAF for 20 years.
Tony re-trained as a Security Chauffeur and has worked within the Close Protection Branch for various Foreign Diplomatic Services.
He has not let the job get in the way of his first love, helping to make movies! Whilst at Headley Court Tony took part in the film Gladiator and jumped at the chance to do two action scenes. Tony loved the experience and went on to become part of a stunt team, in the film "Troy".
Tony knows he will never be a professional stuntman due to his disability, but that does not deter him from throwing himself about the Battlefield in Casualty Simulations in support of Medical and Military Training.
