British endeavour in the Antarctic
www.antarctic-monument.org [email protected] British Antarctic Monument Trust
Update for families and friends 25 March 2009
Commemoration plaque in St Paul’s Progress is being made in our efforts to place a memorial plaque in St Paul’s Cathedral for those FIDS that have died in the Antarctic. At a recent meeting with the Surveyor to the Fabric I had a wide ranging discussion about the size, shape, position, and materials of the proposed plaque. We discussed our preliminary designs created by the artist Graeme Wilson and the work of Fergus Wessel our preferred stone sculptor. You can see his work at http://www.stoneletters.com/. We are hoping that we will be able to commission the final design during the summer if our ideas are accepted by two of the influential committees at St Paul’s. The government of the British Antarctic Territory is supporting this initiative.
Commemoration plaque in Christchurch, Stanley, Falkland Islands We are exploring the possibility of placing a similar plaque in Christchurch Cathedral in Stanley, Falkland Islands probably similar in design to the one in St Paul’s. We believe that because Stanley is the base from which all FIDs set out and with an increasing number of visitors to the island, a memorial in the Cathedral would be most appropriate.
Monumental sculpture The Scott Polar Research Institute has agreed, in principal, to provide a site for the UK part of the monumental sculpture designed by Oliver Barratt in the soon to be re-landscaped garden. The Scott Polar is planning to invest about £1.75million in creating a Polar Museum for the 21st Century in time to celebrate the Centenary of Scott reaching the South Pole in 1912, having secured £1million from the Lottery Heritage Fund. Besides a substantial amount of work inside the building the works will include opening up the entrance on Lensfield Road and creating a more useable space around the building which will contain the sculpture by Kathleen Scott, a reproduction of the James Caird and hopefully the northerly part of the two part Antarctic Monument sculpture made of English oak. We are also looking at the potential of the National Memorial Arboretum, Staffordshire. A decision has yet to be made where the Southerly part, a stainless steel needle, will be sited.
Place names Eleven of the 27 that have died do not have a place named after them and we are seeking through the Government of the British Antarctic Territory and the BAS Club. One of our ambassadors, John Killingbeck, is a member of the UK Antarctic Place Names Committee and is working with us to identify opportunities for new place names and is well placed to promote our objectives.
Ambassadors Three well-known FIDS, John Killingbeck, Paul Rose. and Dr Russell Thompson, have all agreed to act as Ambassadors for the Trust. Their role is to help us in our charitable educational mission and to help publicise our activities through their public talks and lectures. Paul Rose who spent many winters in Antarctica working
Ambassadors: John Killingbeck, Paul Rose, Dr Russell Thompson Trustees: Brian Dorsett-Bailey, Richard Harbour, Julian Paren, Roderick Rhys Jones Charity Registration: Number 01123064, Address 27 Sullivan Road, Kennington, London SE11 4UH, UK with the British Antarctic Survey is well known for his television programmes including the most recent Oceans in which he led an expedition to all the oceans on the planet.
Families, Colleagues and Friends We are now in contact with seven of the 27 families of those that died. They are Tom Allan (Stonington Island 1966), Jeremy Bailey (Halley Bay 1965), Dennis Bell (Admiralty Bay 1959), Kirsty Brown (Rothera 2003), Roger Filer (Signy 1961), Geoffrey Hargreaves (Argentine Islands 1976), and Geoffrey Stride (Horseshoe Islands 1958). Colleagues and friends of a further nine have also been in touch: Stanley Black (Horseshoe Island 1958), Neville Mann(Halley Bay 1963), John Noel (Stonington Island 1966), Eric Platt (Admiralty Bay 1948), Alan Sharman (Admiralty Bay 1959), David Statham (Horseshoe Island 1958), Graham Whitfield (Argentine Islands 1976), Dai Wild and John Wilson (Halley Bay 1965). We are hoping to find the families of these men. We would like to contact FIDS, friends or family of the following and if you know them or know where they lived or studied please get in touch. John Anderson and Robert Atkinson (Rothera 1981), Oliver Burd (Hope Bay 1948), John Coll (Argentine Islands 1982), Michael Green (Hope Bay 1948), Arthur Farrant (Deception Island 1953), Ronald Napier,(Admiralty Bay 1956), Michael Walker (Argentine Islands 1976), Ambrose Morgan (Argentine Islands 1982), Miles Mosley (Halley Bay 1980), Kevin Ockleton (Argentine Islands 1982). Many of those who have contacted us have provided photographs and memories so that we can post stories, memories and photographs on our website www.antarctic-monument.org. Tracking down the families is a time consuming and difficult process that is being undertaken by Brian Dorsett-Bailey. He is planning to place articles in local papers and in alumni magazines at Universities where we have a location to work with. If anyone reading this can provide information about former colleagues please get in touch with Brian. [email protected] or ring him on 01923447422.
Fund raising We have begun fund raising in earnest since gaining charitable status and have raised £7500 with a further £5000 pledged, making a total of £12500. Families, Colleagues and Friends have all been very generous. If you would like to make a donation or a pledge please email any of the trustees or pay through the ‘Giving’ link on the British Antarctic Monument Trust website www.antarctic-monument.org. Roderick Rhys Jones email [email protected]
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