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Home , Edward Adrian Wilson, Geology of Antarctica, Little Rockford, McMurdo Sound, Operation Highjump, Scott Island

J.S. PROJECTS OFFICER BULLET N

VOLUME III NUMBER 3 NOVEMBER 1961 [November 25, 1911] . . . When I think cf my four friends of the southern journey, it is the memory of that morning that comes first to my mind. All the qualities that I most admire in a man were clearly shown at that juncture: courage and dauntlessness, without boasting or big words. Amid joking and chaff, everything was packed, and then -- out into the blizzard.

Roald Amundsen, The , vol. II, pp. 70-71.

Sund a , November 26 [1911]. -- Camp 22. Lunch camp. Marched here fairly easily, com- paratively good surface. Started at 1 A.M. (midnight, local time). We now keep a steady pace of 2 miles an hour, very good going. The sky was slightly overcast at start and between two and three it grew very misty. . . . It Is always rather dismal work walking over the great snow plain when sky and surface merge in one pall of dead whiteness, but it is cheering to be in such good company with everything go- ing on steadily and well. .

Captain Robert F. Scott, Scotts Last Expedition, arranged by Leonard Huxley, vol. I, pp. 326-327.

Volume III, Number 3 November 1961

CONTENTS

In Memoriam 1

The Month in Review 2

Visit of SCAR Delegates 2

South Pole Ceremony 3

U.S. Antarctic Research Program 1961-62 Orientation Session 6

Crash of P2V-7 6

Scientific Notes 8

Aerial Photography 9

Antarctic Exhibit 10

Personal 10

Commander, MATS, Visits 11

Roosevelt Island Project 11

Harold E. Saunders, 1890-1961 12

Antarctic Chronology, 1961-62 13

Publication Available 16 Material for this issue of the Bulletin was adapted from press releases issued by the Department of De- fense and the National Science Foundation. The Bulletin is indebted for the account of the U.S. Antarctic Research Program orientation session to LCDR Melba R. Parks, USN, who attended the confer- ence as the representative of this office, and Mr. Fred Alberts of the Board on Geographic Names and Dr. Kenneth Bertrand of the Catholic University of America for the obituary of their long-time associ- ate, Captain Harold E. Saunders, USN (Ret.).

The account of the fatal aircraft accident and the chronology were taken from incoming dispatches. Unless otherwise indicated, Greenwich mean time is used throughout the Bulletin.

All mail Inquiries should be addressed to the United States Antarctic Projects Officer, 718 Jackson Place, N.W., Washington 25, D. C. Requests for additional copies of the Bulletin may be made by telephone to STerling 3-0860, Extension 3604. Other questions concerning the Bulletin should be directed to the same telephone number, Extension 3795. IN MEMORIAM

The chronology in this issue of the Bulletin covers the period from early October to mid-November 1961. To all concerned with United States activities in Antarctica, the tragic loss of a Neptune patrol plane on 9 November with five fatalities and four serious casualties overweighs all other events. Several years ago, the late Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd, writing to the family of an earlier fatality, said:

He served and died for his country just as devotedly and with as high purpose as if he had died fighting to preserve freedom. The mission for which he had volunteered and on which he served is, and will continue to be, an effort to un- lock further the secrets of nature in that vast area, Antarc- tica, and put them to the use of all mankind.

The same words apply to those who recently lost their lives in the unfortunate accident at : Dr. Edward C. Thiel; LCDR Wil- liam D. Counts; LTJG Romuald P. Compton; James L. Gray, ADR2; and Wil- liam W. Chastain, AMH1. To the survivors -- LT Elias J. Stetz; LT3G Ernest L. Hand; Clarence C. Allen, AT2; and Jack C. Shaffer, AE1; all of whom suffered from first and second degree burns -- we can wish nothing less than a speedy recovery.

Many expressions of sympathy have been received from all quarters of the globe. The most touching came from their comrades in the field, both United States and foreign, from men who themselves know the perils of the Antarctic. Of these, one will suffice, sent from Mirnyy, the Soviet Station, and obviously the result of a struggle with an unfamil- iar language:

Pass to LT Stetz, LT Hand, Metaismith Shaffer, and Radio Operator Allen Personnel of Mirnyy with deep sorrow have known about catastrophe of your plane, perish of your comrades and that you got burns. We are ready to render you medical or any other assistance if it is needed. We hope for your quick recovery. Pleasant meeting with you in Mirnyy will be in our memory for a long time. We wish you all strong health. Best regards. Driatsky.

The lasting memorial to those who died and to those who survive is that the work will go on. What the living can do is to continue in the same spirit and with the same will until the last secret has been wrung from the inhospitable land of and snow.

1 THE MONTH IN REVIEW

The period from early October to mid-November was one of both high tragedy and great accomplishment. Construction progressed steadily on the new and the nuclear power plant at NAF McMurdo Sound and also on other lesser, but important, projects at Hallett. The ar- rival of aircraft broke the winter isolation at Hallett on 15 October and at the South Pole on the twenty-eighth of the same month. By 11 November, the NINTH Troop Carrier Squadron, USAF, had completed scheduled airdrops at both the South Pole and Byrd.

Scientists, technicians, and summer support personnel flowed into McMurdo and spread from there to the other stations. Field parties sorted and packed their gear and, with the aid of helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, set forth on their investigations. At the same time, men, who had spent a year in Antarctica, were assembling their belong- ings, setting their records straight, and, in a trickle, were already beginning the long journey home. New wintering-over personnel made themselves at home, received advice from their departing predecessors, and settled into their new routine.

Toward the end of the period, a more sombre note was struck with the loss of two aircraft. First on 9 November, the tragic loss of the P2V occurred at Wilkes, and three days later an R4D carrying a scien- tific party into the Sentinel Mountains was irreparably damaged. For- tunately, in this second instance, there were no casualties.

By 10 November, five ships, including three , had left Port Lyttelton and were on their way to McMurdo Sound to inaugurate the ship operations phase of the Antarctic suer. As the period closed, those on board saw their first , and the ships began the stren- uous crossing of the ice pack.

VISIT OF SCAR DELEGATES

At the conclusion of the SCAR (Special Committee on Antarctic Re- search) meeting at Wellington, , in early October, Rear Ad- miral Tyree invited the delegates to visit the Antarctic as guests of the United States. Among those who accepted were General G.R. Laclavere and Dr. G. de Q. Robin, President and Secretary of SCAR, respectively. Other persons making the trip included the following:

Argentina - Rear Admiral R.N. Panzarini Dr. Otto Schneider

2 - Dr. R. Carrick

France - Mr. M. Lorius Mr. M.P.C. Rolland Mr. P.-E. Victor

Japan - Dr. R. Toni Dr. H. Uyeda

Norway - Dr. T. Gjelsvik

South Africa - Mr. S.A. Engelbrecht Mr. C.G. Hide

United Kingdom - Mr. A.H. Sheffield Sir

USA - Mr. R.C. Peavey Dr. T.O. Jones

SOUTH POLE CEREMONY

To commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the of the South Pole, the Governments of the United Kingdom and Norway proposed to present a grey marble plaque to the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Sta- tion. The ceremony of presentation took place at the station on 30 October 1961 (local time). Norway was represented by Dr. Tore Gjels- vik, Director of the Norsk Polarinstitutt, and the United Kingdom by Dr. Gordon de Q. Robin, who is Director of the Scott Polar Research Institute as well as Secretary of SCAR. Mr. Athol Roberts, Leader of , represented New Zealand, and Mr. Philip M. Smith, the National Science Foundation. Also present for the occasion were Dr. Paul A. Siple, veteran of the Byrd expeditions and first Scientific Leader at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station (1956-57), and CDR Ronald K. McGregor, USN, Coimnander, Antarctic Support Activities.

When the C-130 carrying the official party touched down at the South Pole late on 29 October, it was greeted by Rear Admiral Tyree, who had arrived the previous day. The party was then taken to the station mess hail, where Admiral Tyree, opening the ceremony, said:

3 Participants in South Pole cere- mony:

Dr. G. de Q. Robin RADM D.M. Tyree, USN Mr. P.M. Smith Dr. T. Gjelsvik Mr. A. Roberts

"The deeds of Amundsen and Scott half a century ago are of the greatest significance in mans brief Antarctic history. Both men stand proudly in the front ranks of those who, in their different ways, have made such vital contributions to the exploration and opening of the Antarctic Con- tinent. Amundsen and Scott laid bare the hinterland of this white con- tinent; they demonstrated that no matter how bitter the elements of nature might be, valiant men could still achieve their goals. Scott and Amundsen added to the sum of mans knowledge; more important, they added immensely to the sum of mans inspiration."

Upon the conclusion of his remarks, Admiral Tyree then turned the ceremony over to Dr. Gjelsvik of Norway. During the course of his re- marks, the Norwegian polar expert provided some of the basic history sur- rounding the-cQnquests of the Pole: " set out from his base, , at about 7 7 degrees South in the on October 18, 1911, together with , , , and . They went straight south and reached the Pole area on December 14, encircling the Pole during the following two days and returning to their base on January 26, 1912. Scott, starting from at about 77 degrees South, a fortnight later than Amundsen, reached the Pole together with E.A. Wilson, H.R. Bowers, L.E.G. Oates, and E. Evans on January 18, 1912. They all perished on their return journey, Scott and his last two men only eleven miles from their One Ton Depot and less than 200 miles from their base."

Dr. Gjelsvik wont on to say, "As the narrative of Scotts expedition became known to the world, through the publication of his diary and letters, the impact of his expedition changed from that of disaster and tragedy to one of victory and heroism. The magnificent performance of Scott and his

4 men, not life-trained skiers, themselves hauling the sled up the much crevassed , over the windswept plateau to the Pole, and nearly all the way back can well be appraised in Norway, itself a coun- try of mountains, snow, and winter storms."

Dr. Robin, in concluding the ceremonys speeches, remarked: "Amundsen and his party, as a result of years of experience in the and Antarctic, were superb masters of technique. Captain and his men, of whom his chief scientist, , should be especially mentioned, led the world with their attainments in the scientific study of Antarctica. The United States South Pole Station, named after Amundsen and Scott, provides an outstanding example of what can be accomplished by close cooperation between the present day masters of polar technique and the scientists studying natural phenomena at the ends of the earth."

The ceremony then moved outdoors to the flagpole where the actual presentation of the plaque was made.

Mr. Ben Harlin, 3 cientific Lead- er, and LT P.K. Swartz, MC, USN, Officer in Charge, Amundsen- Scott South Pole Station, holding commemorative plaque

5 U.S. ANTARCTIC RESEARCH PROGRAM 1961-62 ORIENTATION SESSION

During the week of 11-17 September 1961, the Office of Antarctic Programs, National Science Foundation, conducted an orientation program for all U.S. Antarctic Research Program personnel proceeding to the Ant- arctic for the 1961-62 suer or to winter during 1962. The session was held at Skyland, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, and arrangements for the program were made by the Arctic Institute of North America through a National Science Foundation contract.

Participants from all over the country gathered at the National Science Foundation on the morning of 11 September prior to embarking for Skyland. After initial welcoming remarks, each was given a manual con- taining information reflecting the experience gained by the USARP Staff and a number of the programs veteran scientists during the past six years.

The purposes of this general orientation program were as follows: 1) to provide information on the national and international significance of Antarctic research; 2) to review briefly previous exploration and re- search; 3) to outline in a semi-technical manner the various studies com- prising the over-all program; 4) to allow an instruction in cold environ- ment living; 5) to issue cold-weather clothing; 6) to permit various station complements and the suer field parties to become informally acquainted with each other; and, 7) to allow field investigators to make final logistic arrangements for their programs.

To help carry out the objectives of the program, a series of speak- ers, many of them outstanding specialists in their fields, presented dis- cussions. These discussions were supplemented by films showing past and present activities in Antarctica. Staffs of the Office of Antarctic Programs and Arctic Institute of North America were on hand to answer questions relating to the U.S. Antarctic Research Program.

On Saturday and Sunday, 16-.17 September, a special session in moun- tain and ice safety and rescue was held for those investigators partici- pating in geological field work.

CRASH OF P2V-7

The plane which crashed at Wilkes Station on 9 November was engaged on a scientific mission, the primary purpose of which was an airborne magnetometer survey from NAF McMurdo to Mirnyy Station and return by way

6 of Wilkes Station. It was also desired to correlate a gravimeter with the pendulum base at Mirnyy.

The cause of the fatal accident at Wilkes Station was an inf light fire which so filled the aircraft with smoke and fumes as to blind the pilot and copilot. The fire apparently resulted from a bomb bay tank tearing loose from its shackles during a rough takeoff and spilling fuel which ignited. Before totally losing vision, the pilot, unable to see a suitable landing area ahead, attempted to return to the run- way. While executing this maneuver, the plane crashed and was a com- plete loss.

The following is an excerpt from an eyewitness account received shortly after the accident:

The aircraft, after travelling the full length of the skiway, became airborne rising on a straight course to a height of approximately 500 feet. Some small fragments of solid mate- rial were seen to fall from the fuselage of the aircraft dur- ing this ascent. The aircraft changed its course by banking to the left shortly after which a puff of flame and smoke followed by a muffled report occurred toward the rear of the fuselage. The aircraft continued on a banking turn to the left and then dipped slightly and, while still banking, dis- appeared partially behind a low rise in the plateau surface approximately one and three-quarter miles from the point of observation toward the takeoff end of the strip. A burst of flame appeared to come from the aircraft, which continued for some distance trailing flame before finally coming to rest.

The doctor, with two members of the wintering party, trav- elled by weasel to the still burning aircraft. A message was transmitted to the base that takeoff had been effected at 0409Z and that the aircraft was no longer airborne. As we approached over the rise, a small group of four persons was seen standing near the wreckage. When we reached them, they appeared fully conscious and uninjured apart from burns to clothing, face, and hands. We were assured by them that no possible assistance could be given to those remaining in the aircraft and that a fire occurred in the aircraft after takeoff. The station was further notified that an emergency had occurred. Pain-relieving injections were given to the injured, and they were evacuated immedi- ately by weasel transport 8 miles to the base, which they were able to enter with minimum assistance.

7 SCIENTIFIC NOTES

At the time of going to press, suniner scientific programs were just getting under way. It is, therefore, too early to sunuarize any of the major projects for Bulletin readers. The National Science Foundation has, however, released a number of items of general interest.

UNFROZEN POND

Highly saline water that is believed not to freeze even during the Antarctic winter has been found in a shallow pond in southeast . Located at 161 0 14 1 E, 77°34S, the pond was sighted in mid- September from a U.S. Navy helicopter on a scientific reconnaissance mission. The water, which is approximately 11 times as salty as sea water, covers an area of 200 by 700 yards to an average depth of 4 inches with depressions up to 12 inches. Old beach lines indicate that the pond may at one time have been as much as 30 feet deep. The first visit to the pond was made by Dr. George H. Meyer, wintering-over micro- biologist from the University of Texas. Dr. Meyer, in collaboration with Thomas Berg, geologist from the University of Wisconsin, and Jack L. Littlepage, biologist from Stanford University, is conducting a de- tailed biological and geological investigation of the area. Mr. Little- page has already established the degree of salinity, and Dr. Meyer has determined in the laboratory that the water will not freeze at minus 60° Fahrenheit. Two explanations have been tentatively advanced for the high salt concentration: (1) that it is caused by leaching of ground salts followed by evaporation of the water; and (2) that the pond was originally composed of sea water which may have covered the entire area at some earlier geological time. Of the two possibilities, the first appears the more likely.

MODERN METHOD OF POLAR TRAVEL

The great improvements in the techniques of polar travel during the last 50 years were recently given dramatic demonstration. On 27 June 1911, three members of the second Scott expedition -- Dr. Edward A. Wilson, LT Henry R. Bowers, RN, and Apsley Cherry-Garrard -- set out from McMurdo Sound for . With their supplies piled on a sled which they pulled themselves, they spent 19 days on a journey that one of them years later referred to as a horror "not possible to describe." On 23 October 1961, two U.S. Navy helicopters lifted an international team of six biologists from four nations and all their gear between the same two places for two days of field investigations. The trip took just 40 minutes.

8 FISH STORY

Early in November, John Pearse of Stanford University and William G. Fry of the University of the Pacific, both marine biologists, went out to a small hut built over a hole in the 6-foot ice of McMurdo Sound to pull up a trap in which they hoped to find some bottom fish and ma- rine invertebrates. Richard M. Brennan, a technician from Kaiser Engi- neers, accompanied the two scientists.

Imagine their surprise when a seal, carrying a large fish in his mouth, burst through the surface of the water. Imagine likewise the surprise of the seal to be suddenly robbed of his dinner by three strange two-legged creatures, who immediately took off across the ice with their prize.

When the three men had time to examine their catch, they found them- selves with what is believed to be the largest fish ever taken in Antarc- tic waters -- a 58-pounder, measuring 52 inches long. Although the exact identity could not be determined immediately, it is of the family of Nototheniidae and is apparently similar to a fish obtained by the first Scott expedition. The latter specimen measured 46 inches and weighed 39 pounds, but the head was missing and the body damaged. The new catch also has a strong resemblance to the partially decomposed fish remains found last year off the nearby . These remains have not been positively identified, but have been dated as about 1,100 years old.

AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY

(See Bulletin, Vol. III, No. 1, p. 19.)

During DEEP FREEZE 62, the program of aerial photography will be continued. Three kinds of photographs will be taken: those for topo- graphic mapping, those for interpretation, and those for albedo studies in connection with an ice reconnaissance project. The first two proj- ects are under the direction of the United States Geological Survey, while the last is under the Weather Bureau. All photography will be done by naval aircraft of VX-6.

The mapping effort will include portions of the Queen Range, the southeast Sentinel Mountains, the Waigreen Coast, and part of the Victoria Mountains not covered last year. The interpretation photog- raphy will cover penguin rookeries, mountain areas to the west of McMurdo Sound, and strip photography from Cape Colbeck to the Harold Byrd Mountains. The photographs for albedo studies will be made over the sea area north from McMurdo to the edge of the ice.

9 ANTARCTIC EXHIBIT

Sponsored by the United States Information Service, a travelling exhibit on the Antarctic opened in Zurich, Switzerland, on 22 July 1961. Built around the photographs of the distinguished Swiss photographer, Emil Schuithess, who visited Antarctica as the guest of the United States on DEEP FREEZE Iv (1958-59), the exhibition emphasizes United States ac- tivities in the area. In addition to the pictures, objects of interest were contributed by the Navy, National Science Foundation, the United States Antarctic Projects Office, and private individuals. Among the latter were Rear Admiral Richard B. Black, USNR (Ret.), Lieutenant Com- mander Richard E. Byrd, Jr., USNR, Dr. Carl R. Eklund., Dr. James E. Mooney, and Dr. Paul A. Siple. An international flavor was given to the exhibit by the loan from the Royal Geographical Society of several items of historical interest. The United States contribution was flowrA to Zurich in a C-130BL of VX-6, which was put on public display and attracted a large number of visitors.

Before the exhibit closed in Zurich on 8 August, it was seen by more than 200,000 persons. From Zurich, the exhibit moved for six weeks to Munich, Germany (1 September-14 October), and then to Hamburg (1-19 Novem- ber). About 1 December, the exhibit will go to Oslo, Norway, where it will be a feature of the fiftieth anniversary celebration of Ainundsens discovery of the South Pole. To the core of pictures and objects, the Norwegians expect to add items specifically relating to Amundsen. From Oslo, it will return to Germany, where showings are scheduled until April. After that, it will be made available to other European countries, several of which have expressed an interest.

PERSONAL

On 23 October 1961, Dr. James E. Mooney, Deputy to the United States Antarctic Projects Officer, was the principal speaker at a joint meeting of the Canadian Aeronautical Institute and the Institute of Aerospace Sci- ences at the Chateau Laurier in Ottawa, Canada. Dr. Mooneys subject was the "Antarctic Challenge," and, in addition to his remarks, he showed the film "Portrait of Antarctica."

During the 1960-61 season, Dr. Henry M. Dater, Historian for the United States Antarctic Projects Officer, accompanied the Argentine Ant- arctic expedition as United States official representative. On 1 Novem- ber, Rear Admiral Enrique Grunwaldt, Argentine Naval Attache, presented Dr. Dater with a certificate making him a member of the Grupo Naval Ant- artioo, the Argentine naval task force. Along with the certificate, Dr. Dater also received an Argentine Antarctic emblem.

10 COMMANDER, MATS, VISITS ANTARCTICA

On 13 October 1961, Lieutenant General Joe W. Kelly, USAF, Command- er, Military Air Transport Service, arrived at McMurdo Sound to observe the activities of the units from his command. He was accompanied aboard the same C-124 by Rear Admiral David M. Tyree, USN, Sir Vivian Fuchs, the noted British explorer, and Dr. T.O. Jones, Head of the National Science Foundations Office of Antarctic Programs, all three of whom had attended the SCAR meeting in Wellington. Members of the MATS staff also made the trip. As General Kelly, highest ranking Air Force officer ever to visit Antarctica, remarked, "If I want to see how the MATS men are doing, I have to get out to where they are doing it."

Upon his return, General Kelly expressed high praise for the work being carried on by the Air Force units and his pleasure at the coopera- tion and harmony between his men and the Navy. "I am sure," he said, "that Admiral Tyrees outstanding leadership has inspired all the Ameri- cans engaged in in the Antarctic. The cooperation between the New Zealanders at Scott Base under the leadership of Mr. Athol Roberts and the Americans in Antarctica is certainly a fine exam- ple of international cooperation for the advancement of science."

ROOSEVELT ISLAND PROJECT

On 26 and 27 October 1961, aircraft of Navy VX-6 squadron placed seven young scientists from the University of Wisconsin on Roosevelt Island to begin an investigation that may take several years to com- plete. This landmark, roughly the size of Puerto Rico, appears to the casual observer as a mound of ice rising out of the which completely surrounds it.

The long-term objective of this project is intensive study of a limited area with its ice dome as a model to obtain clues on the be- havior of massive ice sheets. During this season, the scientists will investigate the nature of the island and its underlying topography and set out stakes from which snow accumulation and ice movement may be determined in the future.

Leader of the party is Argentine-born glaciologist Mario B. Gio- vinetto. Other members are Manfred Hochstein, seismologist from West Germany, Ray Logie, traverse engineer from New Zealand, Jerry F. Clark, seismologist, Hugh Keifier, general assistant, and James Clapp and William Heilman, topographic engineers.

11 HAROLD E. SAUNDERS, 1890-1961

Captain Harold E. Saunders (USN, Ret.), Technical Consultant to the Chief, Bureau of Ships, died suddenly at his home in Takoma Park, Mary- land on November 11. Saunders, wartime director of the David Taylor Model Basin, enjoyed world eminence as a naval architect, a field in which he spent practically his entire naval career. At the Naval Academy, from which he graduated in 1912, he earned the highest academic record compiled by any midshipman since 1885. He also earned an M.S. degree from M.I.T. Among Antarctic explorers, however, he was known for his avocation, Antarc- tic cartographer and place name authority.

A classmate and longtime friend of Admiral Richard E. Byrd, Saunders acted as cartographer for the Byrd Antarctic Expeditions of 1928-30 and 1933-35. In this capacity he worked closely with the staff of both the National Geographic Society and American Geographical Society. He was a pioneer in the construction of Antarctic reconnaissance maps from air photos and it is amazing what excellent results he achieved from oblique photos of that period with very little ground control.

In 1943 he was appointed by Secretary of the Interior Ickes to serve as one of the original members of the Special Committee on Antarctic Names (now Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names) of the U. S. Board on Geographic Names. For the last 14 years Saunders was chairman of the Com- mittee. He played an important part in resolving vexing name problems then before the Board and in shaping a statement of policy to serve as a guide to future naming. He initiated informal exchanges with foreign com- mittees which led to greater international uniformity of names.

On three occasions in recent years Saunders made major contributions to the Nations position in the Antarctic through his skill with air photos. In 1955 he instructed G. D. Blodgett in his method and directed and assisted him in the compilation of an excellent reconnaissance map of the Antarctic coast from 86° E. to 144° E. from air photos taken by U. S. Navy . In 1957 Saunders produced the first delineation of the from photos obtained on a trans-Antarctic flight of Operation Deep Freeze I. In June 1961 he sketched the mountains between Liv and Beardmore Glaciers, combining ground control data obtained by A. P. Crary with detail gleaned from examination of hundreds of photos. Saunders success with air photos did not come easily but was the result of patient and persistent attention to minute detail, the product of a skilled and dedicated man.

During earlier periods in this century when Antarctic activity waxed and waned Saunders was one of a handful of Americans who provided continu- ity to United States efforts. All who knew him cherished his friendship. They admired his keen mind, his great ability and persistent application to the task at hand, but most of all they esteemed him for his great personal integrity.

12 ANTARCTIC CHRONOLOGY, 1961-62

(Greenwich mean time is used except where otherwise indicated.)

5 October Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, shifted flag to Christchurch, N.Z.

6 October NAAF Beardmore operative and communications established.

NAAF personnel on station; communications were established on 7 October.

10 October First aerial photographic flight by P2V-7 aircraft from McMurdo.

12 October Field party established in Wright Dry Valley.

Equipment for Lake Bonney Camp 75 per cent airlifted.

13 October Lt. Gen. Joe W. Kelly, USAF, Corrznander, Military Air Transport Service, arrived NAF McMurdo Sound to inspect MATS operations.

14 October Coninander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica, shifted flag to NAF McMurdo Sound.

Automatic weather station installed at 78°21 1 S, 1780391E.

15 October First flight of season to Hallett Station by R4D from McMurdo.

16 October Project Coast (Antarctic cloud study) started, Scott Base and NAF McMurdo Sound.

17 October C.B. Taylor, New Zealand, relieved R.W. Titusof, United States, as Scientific Leader at Hallett Station.

19 October USS ATKA reported to operational control of CTF-43 and departed Boston, Mass.

21 October Ohio State University Victoria Dry Valley party placed in field.

22 October CDR Ronald K. McGregor, USN, relieved CDR James J. Brosna- han, USN, as Commander, Antarctic Support Activities, and Commanding Officer, NAF McMurdo Sound.

13 Representative, U.S. Antarctic Research Program, Byrd, established.

23 October Rear Admiral Tyree inspected Hallett Station (returned to NAF McMurdo Sound, 24 October).

International group of biologists lifted by Navy hell- oopter to Cape Crozier for two days of investigations.

24 October First airdrop of season to Byrd Station by 0-124 of NINTH Troop Carrier Squadron from NAP McMurdo Sound.

Automatic weather station installed at 80 0 30 1 S, 1760251W.

25 October USCGC FASTWIND arrived Wellington, N.Z.

26 October Air Development Squadron SIX (vx-6) detachment at Byrd Station activated.

27 October USS ARNEB reported to operational control of CTF-43.

University of Wisconsin Roosevelt Island study group placed in field by two C-130s and one R4D from NAP McMurdo.

28 October First flight of season to Amundson-Soott South Pole Station by 0-130 with Rear Admiral Tyree aboard.

One U.S. Army helicopter down on Mount Discovery; re- turned to McMurdo Sound after engine change 29 October.

29 October USCGC EASTWIMD arrived Port Lyttelton, N.Z.

30 October International ceremony at Amundsen-Soott South Pole Station marking fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of the South Pole.

USNS CHATTAHOOCHEE arrived Port Lyttelton, N.Z.

First airdrops to South Pole Station by C-124s of 9th TY3S.

2 Noviber USS GLACIER arrived at Port Lyttelton, N.Z.

3 November First increment of U.S. Geological Survey party placed in eastern Horliok Mountains by MD from Byrd Station.

14 CTG 43.1 (Captain E.A. McDonald, USN) broke his flag aboard USS GLACIER at Port Lyttelton, N.Z.

USNS MIZAR arrived Port Lyttelton, N.Z.

IJSS ARNEB departed Davisville, R.I., carrying PM-3A nuclear reactor power plant.

5-9 November P2V-7 (Bu. No. 140439) departed NAF McMurdo Sound for Mirnyy Station (051552Z) on a scientific mission and to deliver Dr. Madison Pryor, exchange scientist, to Mirnyy; arrived Mirnyy (060140Z approx.); departed Mirnyy (080100Z approx.); arrived Wilkes (080340Z); on departure from Wilkes (090409Z) the plane crashed on takeoff with five fatalities and four casualties.

5 November USCGC EASIWIND departed Port Lyttelton, N.Z., for McMurdo Sound, Ant., via Scott Island.

6 November USS BURTON ISLAND arrived Port L.yttelton, N.Z.

University of Michigan Ross Ice Shelf party established Camp .

7 November Remainder of U.S. Geological Survey party placed in eastern Horlick Mountains.

USNS CHATPAHOOCHEE departed Port Lyttelton, N.Z., for McMurdo Sound, Ant.

USNS MIZAR departed Port Lyttelton, N.Z., for McMurdo Sound, Ant.

8 November "Topo South" Tellurometer survey begun.

Ohio State University geological party placed in central Horliok Mountains by R4D from Byrd Station.

USS BURTON ISLAND departed Port Lyttelton, N.Z., for McMurdo Sound, Ant.

9 November Aerial photography of Sentinel Mountains area completed.

10 November 9th TCS C-124s completed scheduled airdrops to South Pole Station.

L.R. Martin relieved N.S. Benes as Scientific Leader at Byrd Station.

15 USS GLACIER departed Port Lyttelton, N.Z., for McMurdo Sound, Ant.

Captain R.G. Shults, USN, reported for duty as Chief of Staff and Aide to Commander, U.S. Naval Support Force, Antarctica.

11 November 9th TCS C-124s completed scheduled airdrops to Byrd Station.

12 November R4D damaged landing gear, starboard wing, and tail on landing in Sentinel Mountains at 77 0 35 1 S 9 870 W, while placing University of Minnesota geological party in field; no casualties. Crew of aircraft and three ci- vilian passengers returned to Byrd Station on 14 No- vember.

USCGC EASIWIND placed automatic weather station ashore on Scott Island.

C-130 flew from NAF McMurdo to Wilkes Station and re- turned (13 November) with survivors and remains of those killed in P2V crash.

PUBLICATION AVAILABLE

James P. Minard, Glaciology and Glacial of Antarctica, has been received from the printer and may be obtained by application to the United States Antarctic Projects Office.

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