We regret to advise that Lieutenant Colonel Alistair Boyle passed away 1 August 2010 at age 42 after a valiant fight against cancer.
Alistair was the UK Exchange Officer at 1 Construction Engineering Unit in Moncton from 2000 to 2003. As a Young Officer fresh from Sandhurst he completed both Paratrooper and Explosive Ordnance Disposal training and became a Troop Commander. He participated in the First Gulf War, was posted to Germany and then had operational tours in Bosnia & Kosovo. While the United Kingdom Exchange Officer at 1 Construction Engineering Unit in Moncton [2000 - 2003] he was awarded the MBE for his work with the Canadian Forces during Gulf War II. Alistair then completed his masters degree in Construction Management, after which he was amongst the first Royal Engineers on the ground in Afghanistan and was in charge of the initial construction phase of Camp Bastion.
After this Afghanistan tour and 20 years service he retired from the military and took a senior management role with British Waterways and then with one of the principal defence construction contractors before he became ill. An avid motorbike rider, 'Ali B' was an inspirational member of a Kent charity dedicated to carrying blood, plasma and other blood products to various regional hospitals in emergencies. The 'Ali B Memorial Bloodbike Memorial Fund was set up in his memory to fund this charity.