British Antarctic Oral History Project. November 2012

During the past 6 months many interviews have been carried out, with the majority being at the BAS club AGM, the Marguerite Bay reunion and a grand tour of Yorkshire. These were all conducted by Chris Eldon Lee and funded by the UKAHT with some welcome financial assistance from BAS Club. We will shortly be trialling a Skype interview to Australia to see if this is effective.

We are nowlooking ahead to the next phase which is trying to make the projectmore accessible to the public. From April 2013, interviews will continue but at a slightly slower rate. One of our first tasks will be to help relieve the backlog at BAS Archives by taking on a short term member of staff and/or volunteers to help with archiving the products of the project.

Thanks to our team of volunteers, transcribing continues but more volunteers are always needed! It does take time (10 minutes of voice takes about 1 hour to transcribe)but can be done at your own pace and is very rewarding. The latest to join us is Simon Taylor, recruited at the Marguerite Bay reunion. Transcribing can also be hugely interesting so we have included a few short extractsfrom interviews below in the hope of attracting some new volunteers who want to spice up their long winter evenings!

DOG HOLDEN G.A 74-78 STONINGTON,ROTHERA and enforced winter at BELGRANO.

Dog describes his first impressions of Belgrano, the under-ice base at 77-78 degrees south. He was gob-smacked at the badly crushed state of the base and the expressions of its inhabitants. They were pensive, subdued army types who were being paid good moneycompared to being based at home. All the base mechanical and electrical systems were in a terrible state, it was untidy and no useful work was being done. There had been plans to close the base for several years but political presence kept it open. Conditions were filthy inside with drip-feed kerosene stoves produced black soot. The inhabitants looked like colliers. The time dragged and still does looking back today – a prolonged nine and a half months period of horror. He reflects upon the recent incarceration of the 33 Chilean miners. 'Nobody sent a capsule down for us!'

REV ALAN MacARTHUR METMAN SG & ARGENTINE Is 51-53

Alan was born on Isle of Lewis, Outer Hebrides. He describes how he was called to the Ministry and of his desire to get escape! He tells a very good story of being 'awakened' at a local dance, knowing that God has spoken to him. But Alan felt the time wasn't right and went south as a met man.

At South Georgia, Alan discovered that he had known some of the Whalers personally in Scotland, and met two from his birth village. He describes the sights and smells of Grytviken and his observations of the whaling industry – there was no sense of an anti-whale hunting lobby in 1951! Alan worked at the Met Office on King Edward Point, helping with the Customs and Excise work and laments the task of having to smash full bottles of booze.

DR. HUGH SIMPSON 55-58 HOPE BAY.

Hugh describes finding Nordenskjold’s 1901 hut, the mummified dogs, underwear still on the bunks and of trying to get a damaged primus going in the old structure. He also tells of travelling to Livingstone Island with a geologist called Hobbs, of the joy of traversing almost virgin territory and of finding a remarkable wildlife paradise. In the early 1800’s the island had been seen as a source of animal oil. There was a fortune to be made and a blockade occurred in which Hugh’s great, great grandfather had been involved. Hugh and Hobbs found a huge seacave with evidence of human activity, including a whalebone carved with the name of B S Cutler. Later another 20 human campsites were found from possible oil hunters. Hugh made contact with Cutler's great, great grandson 30 years later.

FERGUS O’GORMAN ZOOLOGIST 57-59 SG,SIGNY & MONTEVIDEO

Fergus describes learning survival skills on his arrival at South Georgia and of swapping a bottle of whisky for a pair of skis. He talks about opening up a Weddell seal and being surprised that it was mammal. He then ate it. He was particularly interested in reproductive physiology. He collected Black Bellied Storm petrels for study and ate those too. Shipping disruptions meant that there was no clear plan of what to do with Fergus over winter so he was sent to Montevideo and south again in the spring. Fergus says ‘I would go back every year if I could. Such an unbelievably beautiful place. Such good

memories. I grew up there. I left Ireland as naïve 21 year old. Made some progress in that

direction.’

So this is just a sample of the transcripts waiting to be done. All that is required is access to a computer and TIME!! If anyone is interested please get in touch with Amanda () or Allan () 01254 247541. Many thanks to all the volunteers already involved in the whole project.