Personal experience, between 1966 and 1969, of work and life on Halley Bay, a British Antarctic Survey Base, approx 75degrees South and 800 miles from the South Pole, in Antarctica.
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Arrival at Halley Bay & Halley II 1967
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On arrival at Halley Bay the new base building materials and stores were offloaded without incident. Unfortunately towards the end of offloading the wind picked up and broke up the fast ice causing the ships to  move away from danger of being trapped. Amidst snowstorms the final offloading of the personel occurred, though looking dangerous, without mishap

 The main job of the year 1967 is to build a new base named Halley II - (nicknamed Grillage Village due to the 'raft formation of wooden beams for the foundation."  The huts were composed of wooden beams and metal structure. Building work continued as long as there are some daylight hours - it only ceased when the winter darkness set in.

After midwinter and the 3 months darkness, the sun returns and things continued.

Sometimes things on base don't go too well and and accident injured the Doctor. An American Hercules airplane flew across the Antarctic continent from Macmurdo Sound (Amnerican bas at the opposite side of the South Pole) via the South Pole to fly the injured doctor out to hospital in New Zealand. The Hercules required the addition of JATO (Jet Assisted Take-off) bottles to help achieve its take-off speed on the snow.

 

 

 

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