Week 2 Handover Complete

Monday 15 October 1973

Handover continues. Technicians spent the day exchanging metrological charts in the recorders and with a visit to the scientific station at Arrival Heights. Base Engineer shifted the power load between the two Caterpillar power packs and onto the Listers. Mechanics worked hard to clear the hangar of vehicles but the Caterpillar 920 Front End Loader had two flat tyres which were frozen into the deflated shape. Since they were tubeless they had to be thawed and moulded into shape before they could be inflated. Shaun (DIC) spent the day confirming details of field event plans with contacts at McMurdo. In the evening we had a striking demonstration of how dangerous this place could be to the careless. At 4.45pm the weather was clear and sunny with what looked like a thin fog out on the ice field moving north towards us. At 4.55pm visibility was down to 50 yards, wind speed had risen from 5 knots northerly to 40 knots SSW and the chill factor had moved into the lethal range.

Chris Wilkins, Electrician, had gone into the hangar without windproof clothing and had to cross the 20 yards between the hangar and the main buildings to get back. He had no trouble but found the experience unpleasant.

Within an hour and a half the wind had died and the sun came out and conditions were back to normal. A recreational trip with six people went up to Castle Rock to take photographs.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind 15 knots North-North-East Temperature -19.0°C

Ration Strength 19

Tuesday 16 October 1973

Maintenance staff handover now complete. John Bitters, Asst Maintenance Officer, replaced Peter Fowler, Driller, to enable the latter to sit university exams. Shaun Norman, Deputy, and I attended a meeting with Dave Bresneham NSF, Bill Sutherland, Navy McMurdo, Fred Wilson, Choyce Prewitt and Tom Childers VXE Helicopter Squadron, to make preliminary arrangements for Search and Rescue (SAR) training. The Americans gave an estimate of numbers and undertook to provide a vehicle and all equipment. I met Garth Cowan, Technician off the incoming flight and delivered Hosciaux and Turner, outgoing engineer and mechanic to it. Owens, outgoing senior technician was being delivered to the aircraft in a second vehicle when he met some US acquaintances who undertook to take him the rest of the way. He reached the aircraft and boarded it (according to Terminal Ops) but later got off the aircraft for some reason and was left behind.

Conditions going to the aircraft and back were difficult. Chill factor was in the dangerous area, the track was difficult to see and the vehicle got stuck in drifts several times. This evening the majority of Base staff has gone to McMurdo in the dodge to buy liquor and PX goods.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind East 10 knots Temperature -13.0°C

Ration Strength 18

Area around the Ross Sea

Wednesday 17 October 1973

It is now clear that Owens did not board yesterday’s aircraft. The truck he was in got blocked behind a large vehicle which was stuck in a snowdrift. Owens ran upwind across the snowfield and thumbed a ride from a passing tracked vehicle but by the time he got to the aircraft its doors were closed.

Bob Grant, mechanic, finally managed to inflate the tyres on the Caterpillar 920 Front End Loader today so the vehicles were cleared from the hangar. This enabled Gordon Nation, storeman, to commence sorting and laying out his stores ready for the field parties. Base Engineer checked through the entire Base fuelling system. Garth Cowan, the last technician to arrive is getting to grips with his part of the laboratory programme. Shaun Norman, prepared plans for a major caravan to Marble Point and a minor recreation trip to Cape Evans.

At 1845 hours a Starlifter came in with the Vanda party and the majority of the remaining Base Staff as follows: Rob (Tich) Gibson, Postmaster, John Warriner, PO Technician, Rob Chambers, Asst Postmaster, Mike Wing, Field Assistant, Fred Szydlik, Information Officer, Brian Fischer, Carpenter, Bill Whitley and Bob Newland, Assistant Maintenance Officers, Colin Monteath, SAR Instructor, Tony Smith and Peter Thompson, Vanda Technicians, Tony Bromley, Vanda Met Observer, and Ian Curphey, Vanda Leader. We dispatched Phil Owens and so are now a fairly big group with two sleeping in the hangar bunkroom.

Visibility on the run out to the airstrip and back was excellent. What a contrast to yesterday.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind North-East 15 knots Temperature -17.6°C

Ration Strength 30

Thursday 18 October 1973

A beautiful clear morning. First task was to get the new arrivals down to work. Vanda party commenced preparing their stores under direction of Ian Curphey. Maintenance officer and assistants were give list of broken stays, cracked windows and lifting battens. All ventilators were checked and cleared. Bill Johnson is very busy supervising all this. Mike Wing joined DVDP, and Shaun Norman with Colin Monteath walked and climbed all over the SAR training area. Peter Fowler has finished his exams and is back with DVDP. John Bitters now again proceeding with modifications to DVDP frame tents. I held a meeting to plan the renovation of the Vanda generating hut. After examining the alternative it was decided to recommend to the Superintendent that the hut be rebuilt rather than lined and extended. Responsibility tentatively allocated as follows:

• Ian Curphey and Brian Fischer to check timber is available. Ian for tie rods and guys, for setting up the generator and battery bank and installing waste exhaust heat recovery.

• Bill Johnson for fuel system

• Pin Reeves for general wiring, heating (excluding exhaust) switching and ventilation.

The incoming aircraft which was to take out Taylor, Copeland and Williams turned back as conditions deteriorated. Minor friction was apparent between one or two staff but not beyond control. Several of team visited McMurdo tonight.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind 14 knots North-North-East Temperature -24.0°C

Ration Strength 30

Friday 19 October 1973

A day of strong winds and driving snow with one or two breaks only. Very little outdoor work possible although we did manage to change the honey buckets (solid human waste from the toilets). Indoor work is rapidly reaching the point of frustration for one or other reason. Stuart Clarke had a dental appointment at McMurdo at 1400 hours and in one of the lulls in wind asked for permission to walk over the gap, which I gave. Within 10 minutes visibility was down to 20 yards and the wind was gusting 50 knots so I sent Shaun and Ian in the power-wagon after him. After half an hour Shaun rang in from the “Ham” hut about ²/₃ of the way to McMurdo and said that although walking conditions were not too bad it was difficult to get the truck through the snow-drifts. Shortly afterwards Stuart rang from the dentist’s dispensary. He had had no trouble and in fact covered the distance to McMurdo in less time than was taken by the vehicle. This morning at 0500 hours I was reading in bed in D Hut when I noticed a “baked insulation varnish” smell. I could find no fire so I called Bill Johnson who was late mouse. Eventually he discovered that the circulation fan in the Waterbury heater was overheating. He switched it off and started up the standby Coleman.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind South-South-East 40 knots Temperature -10.0°C

Ration Strength 29

Saturday 20 October 1973

The day dawned with blizzard conditions. Occasionally the wind gusted to 80 knots. I had the Carpenter and Maintenance officers endeavouring to list every snow leak but there were too many for this to be feasible. Then the weather eased but with a Met forecast promising further high winds in a few hours. Nevertheless we took the opportunity to free all the doors, dig out the exits and clear the ventilators. A brace had broken on the chimney stack for the main stove and this was renewed. The laboratory staff made their normal visits to external recording points. John Bitters had to shoot one of the dogs today. He was getting old and had lost a very large patch of hair on his back. He seemed to be in considerable distress. Another dog was badly savaged in a fight but after treatment by the McMurdo doctor seems to be recovering. We held our first fire rehearsal today. The only lesson was that we must have an up-to-date nominal roll at the assembly point. Finally we had a convivial dinner topped off with several bottles of Sauterne left by the outgoing party. Ray Colliver, Cook, gave a talk on table wines in general and Sauterne in particular.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind South 65 knots Temperature -8.0°C

Rations Strength 29

Sunday 21 October 1973

At 0310 hours three of the old hands rang from McMurdo they had tried to walk home but, so they said, found the conditions too severe. Wind speed was 30 knots, Temperature -10ºC, chill condition in the increasing danger zone. I rang McMurdo met office and was told that the Captain there had declared a “Condition One” – meaning no one should go outside. Reluctantly gave permission for the men to spend the night there.

The Cape Evans recreation party spent the morning preparing for their trip but a sudden deterioration just as they were about to go persuaded them to call it off. The weather then cleared so I organized an ice party. We are still not working efficiently at this. Furthermore the sledges need repair and the dozer got stuck in a crack, giving some trouble before we finally had it and our ice cargo on the move.

Held a discussion in the evening with Bill Johnson to fix work priorities and arrange occupation for our transients. Antarctic Division has vetoed our plan for pre fabricating the Vanda Hut.

Conditions at 0900 hours Wind East 10 knots Temperature -8.0°C

Ration Strength 29