Halley Bay - 1968

• WF2 (wind-finder) radar installed
• Teleprinter communications introduced
• 21 dogs received from Deception Island
• Overland tractor journey to the Shackleton Mountains. Depot 'Dad' established
• First US airlift to the Shackletons
• Most days with fog: 189 days of the year.

Pictures

Base photo:

Picture supplied by Jeff Cohen

Standing from left to right: PS Mountford (Meteorologist), JM Gallsworthy (Carpenter), PH Coslett (Glaciologist), J Carter (Diesel Mechanic), WA Etchells (Tractor Mechanic), AC Wager (Glaciologist), TH Wiggans (GA), JA Chalmers (Physicist), DS MacLennan (Cook), AM Roberts (Medical Officer), DC Groom (Ionosphericist), DE French (Meteorologist), CM Hodson (WOM), ECE Platt (Meteorologist), WR Laidlaw (Physicist), PD Clarkson (Geologist), PT Pitts (Ionosphericist). Sitting from left to right: KJ Gainey (Radar Mechanic), CL Jones (Cook), NW Riley (GA), CCR Sykes (BC & Tractor Mechanic), N Mathys (GA), AJ Fry (Physiologist), MJ Skidmore (Geologist), JH Jamieson (Physicist), MS Durrant (Meteorologist), K Halliday (WOM), PH Noble (GA). Out of shot: G Smith (Electrician), AS MacQuarrie (Tractor Mechanic).

Midwinter photo:

Picture supplied by Tony Jackson

Left to right (information from Peter 'Rocky' Clarkson): Mike Durrant, head with spectacles bent forward; ???? with head half hidden but possibly Peter Mountford; Norris Riley; Chris Sykes, bald head bent forward; John Carter with cigarette; John (Golly) Gallsworthy in "bunny" costume; John Fry; Paul Coslett; Jim Chalmers (probably), just the profile of the top of his head; Alan (Dad) Etchells (doesn't he look young!); ???? another head largely hidden but possibly Nick Mathys; Keith Gainey. Peter says: "With Golly and Bill Laidlaw, I was one of the 'bunny girls' waiting at table.  It was Golly's idea and we felt right prats as you can probably imagine!  But it was a great occasion."

Halley II

Halley 2 after first winter, 1967/68 season; replaced in 1973 due to crushing by build up of snow and ice.

Photo by Alan Smith

From the BAS image library ref: 10004216; used with permission. No unauthorised copying.

1968 base view - either from a radio/met tower or other above ground site. Visible are the met radar, Muskeg and fuel drum lines.

Picture by John Fry.

More pictures by John Fry

Booboo

Great dog. Had to be careful where you put on the span . Snored like a Lancaster Bomber. - Bill. Another picture

Photo by Bill Laidlaw

Oral History Recordings

• Peter Clarkson
• Paul Coslett
• Alan Etchells
• Keith Gainey
• John Gallsworthy
• Murray Roberts
• Mike Skidmore

Other information, anecdotes etc.

Amateur Radio VP8JP. Would be interested to hear of others. I am in the call books or qrz.com under G3GYE since 1950. More [13 December 2004]

Abdul Smith got the Lansing snow plane operational in 1968. [15 January 2006] Pictures.

Lansing Snow Plane was revamped by Abdul Smith in '68; the engine was a 4-cylinder Lycoming inverted dry sump engine, great on smooth snow. See Halley Bay 1969 photo. [2 Apr 2014]

Sledge bags: A whole new section of memory could be opened up here.  I still have my "Treacle Miners" sledge bag - blue and white and emblazoned with the white rose of Yorkshire.  But how about call signs?  Ones I recall of the 1967/68 seasons included AKE (Noble - trying to be clever as it means sledge in Norwegian), ROX (Clarkson - geologist), BAG (Johnson), GIN (Wornham), RUM (Coslett), SAM (Samuel), DAD (Etchells of course) - can anyone recall others? [12 September 2006]

• Bikes & motorbikes (John Fry)
• "Ham" Radio (Peter 'Pop' Pitts)
• "The Turdicle" (Peter Noble)
• "A Film and a Mountain" (Peter Noble)
• "Dog Days on Ice" (a book by Peter Noble)
• "Golly's Folly" (Peter Noble)
• Antarctic place names (Peter Noble)
• JATO bottle
• FEENIX Midwinter 1968 Edition

• Polar Poetry (Peter Noble)
• Antarctic Paintings (Mike Skidmore)

Summer 1967-68