Monday 12 November 1973
At last we have all our field parties away from the Base. Janet Crump with Events 8 & 9 is at Shapeless Mountains, Phil Kyle with Ross Cooper up Erebus, Peter Blattner with Event 2 at Dromedary and Events 1, 3 & 11 at Vanda. The Royds penguin count party was making its way back this morning. Shaun and I spent the rest of the day after Events 8 & 9 flew off, in tiding up the administration and paper work. Bill Johnson carried out the weekly switch of load between generators and subsequent oil and filter changes. Unexpectedly a US front end loader exactly like our own appeared over the hill with 5000 lbs of cargo for Gordon Nation. It was a kindly gesture but the driver couldn’t manage the hill. Gordon drives over it every second day with our loader but we had to tow this chap back with the D4.
A USARP scientist, Ian Williams arrived to continue work on the Erebus Glacier Tongue started by John Fenwick of Event 1. His toboggan broke down about half way between Williams Field and Scott Base and he came trudging in on foot.
Just before dinner tonight the Royds penguin party arrived. They had had fabulous weather but nevertheless had taken no chances with a sea-ice breakout returning each night to Cape Evans. They had checked and double checked their count and were confident their figure would not be far out (about 2000).
Chris Hendy arrived back from the drill site for dinner and a day’s clean up before moving to McMurdo.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind North-East 5 knots Temperature -8.3°C
Ration Strength 28
Tuesday 13 November 1973
All field Events reported in at the scheduled times. None of them are doing much work as they, like us are experiencing strong winds. Shaun spent the day on the radio (about 2 hours) at the helicopter allocations meeting (2 hours), preparing a brief statement of our field programme with numbers and dated movements for Ernest Herbst of NSF and conferring with Lt Carmen of Para Search and Rescue.
In the morning Bill Johnson and I scoured the McMurdo rubbish dump for something with which to repair the ice sledge runners but were unsuccessful.
Fred Szydlik and I spent some time trying to work out Events launch into a newsworthy press release. Laboratory and PO carried out their normal routine as did the Maintenance staff. To record today’s maintenance routine as being typical:
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Bill Johnson tried to determine why the Post Office workroom is always hot whilst the customer’s space is always cold and worked out a proposal to rectify this. He also pulled the incinerator blower casing off to see how it worked and how it should be installed.
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Bill Whitley made steps for the weather mast.
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Bob Newland sorted, repaired and placed batteries on charge.
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Chris Wilkins repaired the battery charger.
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John Bitters worked with the vet (Alastair Watson) taking blood samples from the dogs and examining them.
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Bob Grant repaired the Landrover and D4.
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I spent the day sorting and listing maps.
Chris Hendy and John Gumbley have now moved across to McMurdo to work on drill cores at the Earth Science Laboratory.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind South 30 knots Temperature -6.0°C
Ration Strength 26
Wednesday 14 November 1973
Since there is still sea-ice all the way to Royds we decided to send a second party up to it in the SnoTrac. Bill Whitley is in charge with Stuart Clarke, Titch Gibson and Ray Pitcher. The party's primary task is to repair and clean out the Cape Evans and Royds huts. A secondary task is to recount the penguins. Shaun held the party all day yesterday because of threatening weather but finally we decided to let it go. A party of USARP people failed to make radio contact on time and as helicopters couldn't reach the exact spot where they were believed to be located we were asked to provide a search party to go in on foot. Ian Curphley and Tony Bromley were nominated and taken to the nearest feasible point by air. However as it happened the weather cleared and the USARP party were reached by a second helicopter before our two men could get to them.
Scott’s last expedition hut at Cape Evans
Starting tonight, three of our Base staff including myself are to attend one of Colin Monteath's survival courses. Event 2 did not make radio contact this morning. Bob Newland slipped on some ice and cut his elbow so badly that the McMurdo doctor has put it in a splint. Bill Johnson is wrestling with the water supply to the ablution block. Some chips of wood (probably off the ice sledges) have got into the pump.
This morning was fine with sunshine so we all stopped normal work to sweep the roof. It has now been snowing gently for the last four hours. Such is life.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind West-North-West 8 knots Temperature -2.6°C
Ration Strength 23
NZ Vanda Station located in the Dry Valleys on the mainland
Thursday 15 November 1973
This morning we still could not make direct contact with Event 2 but Vanda was able to identify signals which they made by whistling into the hand piece. Accordingly we know that they are alright but have radio trouble.
Late last night Derrick Hobby arrived back from Vanda. He reports that the place is very crowded and all are eagerly awaiting fresh rations. They have had rather disorganized work priorities there, mainly because we here have been taking every opportunity to squeeze cargo onto and Vanda bound helicopter that has spare capacity. We have waiting cargo here at Scott Base and also at the McMurdo pad. What can be squeezed in is frequently not what Vanda wants but nevertheless we cannot afford to waste any airlift.
John Bitters was able to locate some steel channel in McMurdo to repair the ice sledges and although we offered to pay it was promptly given to us without charge. I have been to the survival course all day and at 1700 hours when our course arrived back at Base we were surprised to see Bill Johnson and Gordon Nation on the roof sweeping frantically. The temperature had crept above freezing and great pools of water had formed between the battens. Conscripting a passing American we all got madly at it and had it fairly dry by 1800 hours. Then the temperature fell and the wind picked up and liberally recovered it. I attended the survival course evening session until 2200 hours.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind East-North-East 7 knots Temperature -2.4°C
Ration Strength 23
Friday 16 November 1973
This morning we had 30 knot winds so the early session of the survival course was cancelled. As the ice sledges were getting low we collected ice instead. It was intrepid work standing on slippery ice using a power pick in a 30 knot wind. With members away from the Post Office, Laboratory and Base Maintenance, the place seems almost empty but everyone is pretty busy nevertheless.
At 1330 hours the survival course got started again. Conditions gradually improved and we had a very pleasant evening practicing crevasse rescues and building snow shelters in which we stayed the night.
During the day the Erebus party with Phil Kyle and Ross Cooper had a frustrating time. Their special seismograph for recording on the peak broke down and the output meter on their radio froze. They thought their radio had failed and were gloomily expecting a recall helicopter to come and snatch them off the mountain. Naturally they were delighted when at the second attempt they made contact loud and clear.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind South 21 knots Temperature -8.8°C
Ration Strength 20
Saturday 17 November 1973
The survival course ended this morning and all returned to Base. The US members of the course were four servicemen who were neither very fit nor very keen. Anybody may face a survival situation but it was disturbing to find that one of them expects to be “detailed off” to attend the para rescue course.
With a day of good weather both long range parties (Event 2 and Event 8/9) are out of their tents and at work. The inadequate communication link with Event 2 is a cause for concern. The Royds party from Base has moved back to Royds from Evans. Meantime the skeleton crew in Base can do little more than attend to routine.
John Bitters took the dogs for a run for the benefit of some visiting US photographers and as part of the effort to get them fit.
John Warriner spent the night working on the transmitter used on the New Zealand link. He is now satisfied with its performance. He is conscientious in his own way and I think we can cope with the problem he sometimes presents.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind South-East 14 knots Temperature -4.2°C
Ration Strength 20
Sunday 18 November 1973
Since my assigned mouse had still not returned from Cape Royds I again became chief cook. It was a lot easier this time with 20 residents instead of 40 and about 8 of those either absent on course with the Para Rescue people or eating with US friends.
Last night John Bitters was made an honorary US Navy Chief Petty Officer and the consequent celebrations reduced the places at breakfast to five only.
Most of us had a quiet day but Shaun was busy as usual. There was the usual succession of radio contacts with their requests and queries and then at about 1600 hours the weather lifted. The helicopters began flying at once and within an hour Chris Wilkins was on his way to Vanda. Apparently there was a lightening handover because by ten o’clock Pin Reeves rang from McMurdo. He had a frustrating 3 weeks wiring up Vanda Station but despite a seven day hang-up at Marble Point had made fair progress. He estimates that Chris would complete the job in less than two weeks.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind East-North-East 8 knots Temperature -6.3°C
Ration Strength 15
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