Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office.

  • Great Britain. Colonial Office.
Date:
[1951]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Falkland Islands and Dependencies / Colonial Office. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    48/60 (page 40)
    were unreliable and flying conditions entirely undependable. The first of the two third-winter men was flown out on 30th January, 1950, and three others with maps, records, two Emperor penguins and the personal kit of this party were lifted on 6th February. Some improvement in conditions appearing possible and it being most desirable to get all valuable equipment and some, at least, of the dogs away it was decided to try and get through with the ship which set course for Marguerite Bay on the following afternoon and after some hazardous hours in the Bismark Strait she won through into more or less open waters and, after negotiating a belt of heavy floes across the approaches to the bay, she arrived at Nene Fjord in the early hours of 10th February. Two days sufficed to load the stores which were already packed, to leave the Base secure and tidy and to embark the remaining men and some 36 dogs. The relief was complete. Cdr. Kirkwood received the O.B.E. for his services in connection with this relief, and generally ; Pilot Officer P. St. Louis (R.C.A.F.) the M.B.E., and Sergeants Bodys and Hunt (R.A.F.) the B.E.M. Some progress has been made with Hydrographic Survey during the year, and at Base “ H ” (Signy Island) the Survey’s biologist had completed his investigations of the Elephant Seal. A Scientific Bureau charged with the duty of preparing and presenting for public¬ ation the considerable volume of scientific data and reports accumul¬ ated by the Survey since 1943-44 was set up under a grant from Colonial Development and Welfare funds and Dr. V. E. Fuchs, upon the recommendation of the Governor, was appointed as its Director. 40 huskies were presented to the Anglo-Norwegian-Swedish Expedition and were shipped to England where, unfortunately, some of them were afflicted with “ hard-pad ” disease. The closing of Base “ E ”—by intent—and Base “ D ” voluntary—made it possible to devote some time and attention to a very necessary overhauling of the administrative side of the Survey and, equally necessary, of its financial machinery. The year brought with it the termination of the secondment of Cdr. Kirkwood who had done so much to improve the spirit and efficiency of the S.V. John Biscoe and in October, 1950, the ship sailed south once more under the command of Captain Johnson. The 1950-51 season was uneventful, reliefs were carried out without incident ; further, if limited progress was made with the Hydrographic Survey and substantial improvement effected in the Meteorological Service thanks mainly to the co-operation of the Director of the Meteorological Service in the Air Ministry, through whose good offices personnel are now seconded to F.I.D.S. from the Ministry. This, amongst other things, enabled the Survey to meet the wishes of the whaling community at South Georgia in setting up a Forecasting Service there. The former Secretary of F.I.D.S. (Major K. S. Pierce- Butler) was appointed as Administrative Officer and Magistrate, South Georgia, and was himself succeeded in the Office of Secretary by Mr. F. K. Elliott, former Base Leader at Hope Bay. Mr. R. M. Laws, the F.I.D.S. biologist, transferred his seal investigations to a