Alan Roy Drysdall (1934 – 11 January 2017)Alan Drysdall
/ref> was an English geologist who worked in southern Africa. The mineral Drysdallite was named after him. Drysdall was a noted philatelist and a signatory to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists.

Early life

Alan Drysdall was born in Southampton in 1933. He received his doctorate in Geology from the

University of Southampton , mottoeng = The Heights Yield to Endeavour , type = Public research university , established = 1862 – Hartley Institution1902 – Hartley University College1913 – Southampton University Coll ...

in 1957.

Career

Drysdall was the director of the Zambian geological survey. The mineral

Drysdallite Drysdallite is a rare molybdenum selenium sulfide mineral with formula Mo(Se,S)2. It crystallizes in the hexagonal system as small pyramidal crystals or in cleavable masses. It is an opaque metallic mineral with a Mohs hardness of 1 to 1.5 and a s ...

was named after him.

Philately

Outside work, Drysdall was a noted

philatelist Philately (; ) is the study of postage stamps and postal history. It also refers to the collection and appreciation of stamps and other philatelic products. Philately involves more than just stamp collecting or the study of postage; it is possi ...

who was a stalwart of the Rhodesia, Transvall and Natal Study Circles. He signed the

Roll of Distinguished Philatelists The Roll of Distinguished Philatelists (RDP) is a Philately, philatelic award of international scale, created by the Philatelic Congress of Great Britain in 1921. The Roll consists of five pieces of parchment to which the signatories add their n ...

in 2003. He also signed the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists of Southern Africa."Alan Drysdall RDP, RDPSA, FRPSL - 1933 to 2017", John Berridge, ''ABPS News'', Summer 2017, Vol. 24, No. 2, p. 16.

Selected publications

Geology

* Drysdall, A. R. ????. ''The tin belt of the Southern Province, summary report'', 2nd edition. Lusaka: Government Printer. * Drysdall, A. R., and P. D. Denman, N. J. Money. 1967. ''Some aspects of the geology of the Siankondobo coalfield''. Lusaka: Government Printer. * Drysdall, A. R. et al. 19??a. ''Coal resources of the Zambezi Valley, II. Siankodobo – The Kanzinze basin, geology of the shafts''. Lusaka: Government Printer. ** 19??b. ''Coal resources of the Zambezi Valley III, Siankodobo- the Izuma Kanzinze basin''. Lusaka: Government Printer. ** 19??c. ''Coal resources of the Zambezi Valley IV: Sikankodobo- The Norfthern Part of the Kanzinze basin''. Lusaka: Government Printer.

Philately

* ''Mashonaland: A Postal History, 1890-96'' * ''Transvaal - Revenue and Telegraph Stamps'' 1995 * ''Rhodesia's Role in the Second Anglo-Boer War''

References

British philatelists Signatories to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists 1934 births 2017 deaths 20th-century British geologists Scientists from Southampton Fellows of the Royal Philatelic Society London {{geologist-stub