Monday 11 February 1974
Whilst getting another sledge full of ice the International 500 tractor overheated and burst a radiator hose. Later in the day whilst trying to open up a better road for the ice sledges I dropped the D4 through a snow bridge over an old melt pool. This sought of incident is not particularly dangerous but it does waste a lot of time.
Recovering the D4 from an old melt pool
Lyle McGuinness asked me to pass on to Bob Thompson his view that the Earth Science Laboratory should be a permanent international facility.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind South-East 2 knots Temperature -6.8°C
Ration strength 19
Tuesday 12 February 1974
Today we had news that the aircraft on which Shaun Norman, Fred Szydlik, Bob Chambers, John Warriner and Leo Slattery were to leave, is delayed. It is perhaps appropriate to record the excellent job which Shaun has done for me in controlling field parties. His previous experience was invaluable. He made swift sound decisions which were accepted by even the more strong-willed field party leaders. He also plays hard, which to me is acceptable but might give cause for concern to an OIC with a different leadership style. Reflecting I think his strengths matched my weaknesses and vice versa and we made a good team. Fred Szydlik also did a fine job for me. It is not easy to write press releases which please everybody but Fred was at least able to get a high proportion of his material widely printed. Our Post Office was well staff this year. It was fortunate that events resulted in us having two technicians for most of the summer as the work of installing the new equipment had been underestimated. Leo and Bob both did a good job. I would agree with the Postmaster that an additional fairly inexperienced person can be a great help in relieving the operators of many mundane time consuming tasks.
Conditions at 0900 hours Calm Temperature -6.4°C
Ration strength 19
Wednesday 13 February 1974
Today our five summer support people finally got away. As early morning mouse I cooked their breakfast which was:
Cold apple pie and custard (4 pieces only)
Fruit juice (a can of 7-Up)
Antarctic bacon in quantity
Sausages, deep fried (5 only)
Toast and fried bread (a bit of toast fell into the sausage fat)
Various left over fried vegetables
They all agreed that it was up to my usual standard and Bob Grant drove them away in the Dodge at 0430 hours. With the new seal meat warm box almost finished I can get to work on the unserviceable ice sledge. We may before long have them all in action for the first time.
Forwarded to Antarctic Division safe hand Gordon Nation
$(NZ) 100.00 Bal $13.00 plus silver
$(US) 650.00 Bal in $1 = $25.00
$5 = $35.00
$60.00 + silver
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind East 12 knots Temperature -11.5°C
Ration strength 14
Thursday 14 February 1974
Bill Whitley is having a lot of trouble leaving even the semblance of a working dog team for Mike Wing. Neither Oscar nor any of the other potential leaders will keep pulling out in front let alone obey directional commands. Bill has Osman out with a small sledge trying to teach him on his own. I’m not interfering but this doesn’t seem wise to me. It will be unfortunate if Osman will work for Bill but not for Mike. The problem is aggravated by the fact that Mike is not popular and in particular that Mike and Bill do not get along. Mike has not got the tradesman’s instinctive reaction to things which are not adjusted properly. He forgets to free chain swivels and tighten turn buckles – or so Bill says. The point seems to have been proved by the fact that Forrell whom Mike had tethered near the Base for treatment to a wound, twisted his chain into a knot and strangled himself. Uglin seems to be due for a litter and is now in the brood pen.
The USN ship Towle arrived today and by midnight Gordon was collecting and delivering stores for the rest of us to unpack and stow. New runners have been fitted to another ice sledge and we now have all four in use.
Resupply ships heading towards McMurdo
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind North-East 12 knots Temperature -11.6°C
Ration strength 14
Friday 15 February 1974
With the exception of the Postmaster, one technician and the two mice, everybody has been unloading and stowing stores.
I am having a clash of wills with one or two Base staff that just beat my 8 o’clock deadline for sleeping in but then spend half and hour in the Mess having a continental breakfast. Throughout the season my only stick with which to discipline people has been the summary dispatch home to NZ. In other words, like any other employee, they could have been dismissed.
Conditions at 0900 hours North-East 7 knots Temperature -12.8°C
Ration strength 14
Saturday 16 February 1974
Unloading continued. No attempt made to carry out the usual Saturday afternoon clean up.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind North-East 8 knots Temperature -14.6°C
Ration strength 14
Sunday 17 February 1974
This morning Gordon located the eggs and cheese which were missing from our re-supply. They were in the USN Towle reefer boxes and about to be taken on to Panama as McMurdo had advised USN Towle that no eggs or cheese had been ordered. I suspect that the ships caterer had his eye on them as there was a shortage in cheese onboard.
We got a working party out of bed and by 9 o’clock were trudging up and down steep narrow steel companion ways each with a case of eggs on one shoulder. Gordon also located missing oxygen but could find no trace of acetylene or a large part of the timber.
In the afternoon Titch and I visited the ship again at their request and sold stamps and books for a couple of hours. By the end of the day it was snowing heavily.
Conditions at 0900 hours Wind North-West 20 knots Temperature -5.4°C
Ration strength 14
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