In Memoriam: Lt Robert 'Bob' Gilbert, Founder of Richmond Defence Systems
- May 7
- 3 min read
It is with profound sadness that Richmond Defence Systems announces the passing of our founder, Lt Robert 'Bob' Gilbert, on 22 April 2026, aged 84. A soldier, entrepreneur, and pioneer of the EOD industry, Bob's life spanned more than six decades of service to British defence — first in uniform, and then through the companies he built.
Military Service
Originally from Newark, Nottinghamshire, Bob enlisted in the ranks in November 1960 (Regimental Number 23846336) before taking a Short Service Commission with the 1st Battalion, Sherwood Foresters. He was commissioned at Mons Officer Cadet School on 29 June 1961, with the parade taken by Field Marshal Sir Francis Festing GCB KBE DSO, then Chief of the Imperial General Staff. He became a 2nd Lieutenant on 1 July 1961 and was promoted to Lieutenant on 3 March 1963. Bob served in mainland UK, Northern Ireland, and Cyprus, his final posting being as Demonstration Platoon Commander at Mons.
In March 1964, while serving with UNFICYP in Cyprus, Bob led a Sherwood Foresters Land Rover patrol that intervened at a Greek roadblock to escort the Turkish Ambassador's envoy, Mr Mazhar Ozkol, to safety. The incident was reported in the Daily Mirror of 17 March 1964 under the headline "British Save Turkey's Envoy." He was awarded the United Nations Medal (Cyprus, UNFICYP) and was discharged on 30 June 1965.
Between 1965 and 1966, Bob served in North Yemen as part of Colonel Jim Johnson's British team supporting the Royalist cause during the Yemen Civil War, alongside Johnny Cooper, Mike Gooley, Bernard Mills, Liam McSweeney, David Bailey and Stan Jenks. He is referenced under the radio code-name "Brisket" in Mike Gooley's memoirs. He was a member of the Special Forces Club.
International Business and the Founding of the EOD Industry
After leaving the Regiment, Bob built a distinguished career in international export sales, initially specialising in the Middle East and later expanding into Eastern Europe and Africa. He spent 11 years in the construction equipment and materials-handling sectors, rising to Export Sales Director at Lansing Bagnall, the lift-truck manufacturer. By 1979, he had been appointed Group Marketing Director at Crane Fruehauf.
In the early 1980s, Bob founded Richmond Electronics & Engineering, a defence contractor specialising in the design and manufacture of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) equipment. Over the following 26 years, he built the company into a major supplier to NATO and numerous other governments, and in 1996, he patented the recoilless disruptor — a foundational innovation in render-safe technology that remains at the heart of the modern EOD toolkit. Richmond Electronics & Engineering was sold to Chemring plc in 2007.
In 2012, Bob returned to the field he had done so much to shape, founding Richmond Defence Systems. The business he started — and the people, products and customer relationships he nurtured over more than four decades — endure today.
Bob had a lifelong love of the Arabic language and of the Middle East, a passion reflected in the friendships and customer relationships he built
Funeral
The funeral will take place on Wednesday, 13 May 2026, at St Nicolas Church, 3 Church Road, North Lopham, Diss, IP22 2LP, at 1430 hours. The wake will be held at The Oaksmere, Rectory Road, Eye, IP23 8AJ. All, including Standard Bearers, are invited to attend. Donations to the church.
We will miss him deeply.
