Halley Bay - 1956

• Landfall made on Brunt Ice Shelf on 6 January by Royal Society IGYE Advance Party, leader David Dalgliesh, on board MV Tottan. The full story here. See Photo.
• Place named Halley Bay (after Edmond Halley, former secretary of the Royal Society, born 1656, and discoverer of the comet)
• Met obs begun by Limbert
• Main ozone and auroral obs started
• Tottanfjella (mountains) sighted from base on a day of unusual refraction (23 Oct)
• Capt. Finn Ronne visits base from USS Staten Island

Pictures

Photo: George Hemmen Raymond, Limbert, Powell, Watson, Le Feuvre, Dalgliesh R, Lush, Dalgliesh D, Evans, Prior. "From left to right we have Johnny Raymond - chief builder carpenter, Dave Limbert- Met man, Ken Powell (Casey) doggy man (sorry no dogs)- diesel mech electrician, Major Gus Watson(REME) - chief scientist, Charlie Le Feuvre (ex SAS signals) -wireless operator, Captain Robin Dalgliesh ex dragoon guards- general handy man. Lt George Lush(RN) - Tractor driver-cargo supreme all round work-a holic, Surgeon Commander David Dalgliesh (RN) - Expedition leader -ex Marguerite Bay with Bunny Fuchs, Dr Stan Evans (ex Jodrell Bank) -Aurora, Ozone, Surveyor and anything requiring physics, Doug Prior (Johnny Raymond's brother in law) - carpenter and builder (He and Johny ) built the first Bar and lounge to look like a 'olde world pub'." [Thanks to Dave Limbert for providing this image and caption.]

Survey of the Royal Society base, by Evans, Le Feuvre and Powell. Still hanging on the wall at Halley.
From the BAS Archives. Document reference: AD6/2Z/1961/A1

MV Tottan at Hobart after returning from Macquarie Island, April 1952.
Photograph by P. Law, from the Australian Antarctic Division website

Expedition film (YouTube)

Oral History Recordings

• David Dalgliesh
• George Hemmen
• David Limbert (1)
• David Limbert (2)
• Ken Powell

I was responsible for coordinating the logistics and supplies for the Royal Society IGY station and went to Halley Bay in January 1956,1957 and 1959 although I never over-wintered there. In 1955 FIDS, with the practical backing of The Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administrations, had undertaken to organise the logistics for the Royal Society IGY expedition and engaged me for the task.
In January 1956 I was one of the three on 'Tottan' (David Dalgliesh, leader, Ken Powell and myself) who, having had previous Antarctic experience with FIDS, formed the party to go ashore to reconnoitre for a site for building the station.It was the third location we tried before finding somewhere that appeared suitable, which subsequently became known as Halley Bay. More. See also: Halley Bay - Base Z - The background and why it is where it is.

George Lush, Robin Dalgleish, Johnny Raymond, Doug Prior and the 2 i/c Gus Watson all died some years ago. The radio op Charlie Lefeuvre went to Australia in the late nineteen sixties/ early seventies and hasn't been seen since ( swallowed up in the Bush ! ?).

Ed Hillary in his book No latitude for Error called us 'a cheerful bunch, mostly tradesmen' !! ( ie 2 Navy, 3 Army, 1 physicist, 1 meteorologist, 2 carpenters, 1 diesel mech / dog driver !!!)
[21 January 2003]

The Origin of "Gin Bottle" by Dave Limbert

The Royal Society IGY Expedition to Antarctica by Stan Evans

Endurance and Tottan voyages compared

Links

• MV Tottan: French stamp; British stamp
• David Dalgliesh (obituary)
• David Limbert, 40th Anniversary lecture
• Christmas 1956 broadcast from the Magga Dan
• Stan Evans - (Oral History This link isn't working at present (17 Nov 2023) so try this one instead.)
• Johnny Raymond (obituary)
• George Lush (obituary)
• Roy Piggott by Henry Rishbeth
• George Hemmen (obituary)
• Cold Snaps (Royal Society)