South Pole Station--the first 10 years
Admiral Dufek (second from left) and the rest
of the crew of Que Sera Sera, which landed at
Pole on 10/31/56 (Navy photo published by NSF
in "Safety in Antarctica," 1988) (larger views
with full caption)
Naval Support Force Antarctica (NSFA) established (2/1) along with Task Force 43, to be commanded by Rear Admiral George Dufek Plans finalized for 6 scientific stations: Pole, Byrd, Wilkes, Ellsworth, Hallett, and Little America V (LA5), along with a secondary air support/ logistics base at McMurdo Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd designated "OIC, US Antarctic Program" (March)
"Operation Deep Freeze I" started (after being renamed due to trademark concerns by Amana regarding their freezers) First arrival at Hut Point (12/18), tent camp set up, soon to become McM First aircraft land at McM ice runway (2 Neptunes (P2V's) and 2 Skymasters R5D's), 12/20) First IGY-era flight over Pole (1/3) (Admiral Byrd was on the first 2 in 1929 and 1947 and did it again along with Paul Siple on 1/8, This was Byrd's final trip to the ice) EO3 Richard Williams and his D8 disappear (1/6) in a crevasse near the airfield later named for him (memorial page)
A view of Little America V under construction during summer 1956-57. All 6 of the original research stations had the same architecture-- T5 buildings, a RAWIN dome as seen here, aurora tower...(photo by Jim Waldron)
...93 men at McM, 73 at LA5
First cargo airdrop to Pole (as yet unoccupied), a C-124 Globemaster with Paul Siple aboard (10/25) Beardmore Station set up as a weather/refueling station for Pole flights at the south end of the Ross Ice Shelf (85°S-166°W which was actually near Liv Glacier 120 miles east of the Beardmore) Admiral Dufek lands in R4D Que Sera Sera (10/31)
Here's one view of the aircraft, piloted by LT Gus Shinn, on deck at Pole. This picture was taken by LT John R. Swadener (the navi- gator) and appeared in TIME magazine (info and more photos)
First construction crew arrives led by LT Dick Bowers (11/20). They determined they'd actually landed 8 miles from the Pole, to which some of them traveled with their dog team a few days later. They left their disabled Weasel behind. Pole has remained continuously occupied since this date First parachute jump (11/26); USAF TSGT Richard J. Patton jumps using a static line from a C-124 at 1,500' above the surface. He actually jumped at the site of the disabled Weasel, where parts had just been dropped. The Weasel was quickly repaired, and he rode to Pole with the Seabees who'd been left behind. His task was to help coordinate the airdrop operation
P2V on deck at Pole, Christmas Eve 1956. The major structures of the new station are visible in the background. This photo by Jim Waldron from the flight deck of one of two R4D aircraft that also made this trip; the flight crews had an early Christ- mas dinner before returning to McM.
Ceremonial Pole (original striped bamboo pole with glass ball) first erected on the garage roof (12/14)
This low aerial view of the station taken before New Years Day 1957 shows the newly erected bamboo pole atop the garage, with the tunnel framework under con- struction. This view looks southeast; from left to right are balloon inflation building (small square structure), science building, gap where Siple's berthing Jamesway would be erected, garage, berthing Jamesway (shortly replaced by the prefab Clements building, see below), and galley. Note the skylights in the flat roofs; these would go away as the flat- roofed Clements buildings were replaced with pitched- roof T-5 structures. This photo courtesy of Don Scott, who was one of the UT's. He may have taken this photo as he departed on 24 December 1956 on one of the R4D's mentioned above. First team of Seabees departs (24 December)
Before they left, the group posed for this photo, in which can be seen the shadow of the striped flagpole topped by the glass ball. Standing: Bristol, Speirs, Williamson, Tyler, Wagner, Bevilacqua, McCormick, Randall, Patton, Roberts, Goodwin, Bowers. Kneeling: Scott, Chaudoin, Hisey, Prescott, Powell, Nolan, Montgomery, Hubel, Woody, McGrillis, Slaton. Not pictured: Tuck. (U. S. Navy photo from the USAP photo library)
Galley completed and occupied (around 12/27)
This photo, taken about the same time as the one above, looks northwest at the other end of the galley, with the newly erected RAWIN (radar weather balloon tracking) dome at the south end above the met office. (U.S. Navy cruisebook photo)
Time capsule marked "to be opened in the year 2000" deposited in the astro- nomical hut at the real Pole (1/1). The capsule came from Peoria and was a D8 cylinder, to be unearthed in 2000. That didn't happen; NSF has plans to find it someday Station officially dedicated "Amundsen-Scott IGY South Pole Station" in a major ceremony (held at McM, Pole folks didn't find out until later)
Admiral Dufek makes the dedication speech at McMurdo for the commissioning of the new Pole station on 23 January 1957. Meanwhile, station supply, construction, and manning remained in- complete until the slushy McM ice runway was reworked for service (with help from a cold spell). Airdrops resumed on 10 February, and the final w/o's who arrived on the final R4D flight on 12 February told the rest of the station about this event.
Last airdrop, "station closed" (2/21)
OIC: LTJG Jack Tuck Jr., population 18 (list and photos) Berthing building, delivered with last airdrop, finished in early March (building later used as Club 90 and rebuilt)
Winterover crew erects the berthing building in late February (photo by Paul Siple more info)
Admiral Byrd dies in Boston (3/11) at age 66 First weather balloon launched (3/26)...using generated hydrogen as was normal for the original station
Another late season construction project, building the seismo tunnel from formed snow walls and burlap. (photo by Paul Siple more info)
Temperature hits -100°F for the first time (5/12) IGY officially begins (7/1) Record cold for the first winter: -102.1°F/-74.5°C (9/18) First flights from McM to open Beardmore (9/9), station site was relocated to the base of the Beardmore Glacier [in the pre-130 days, aircraft were left on the ice over the winter, these R4D's had wintered at LA5].
Paul Siple stands on the garage roof next to the, er, Ceremonial Pole... (photo from Paul Siple the rest of the story). I'm not sure when this photo- graph was taken; based on the snowdrifts and sun angle I'm guessing it was in the spring.
Geographic Pole marked with a circle of 55-gallon drums in a 100-foot radius (10/9)
 While waiting for the first airdrop, Paul Siple's
group moved these empty 55 gallon drums to form a circle which contained the best guess as to the  location of the real Pole. They used the results
of extensive celestial observations during the
winter from the 4'x8' astronomical hut visible in the right photo. The American and UN flags were flown to mark the location. In the right photo (behind Siple and Jack Tuck) the station is visible in the distance, with the galley/dome to the left and the aurora tower to the right.
(photo information)
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First commercial airliner, a Pan American Stratocruiser (Boeing 377), lands at McMurdo (10/15)--this was a military charter carrying deploying Seabees, VIP's...and female flight attendants Patricia Hepinstall and Ruth Kelly (and enough news media to make sure the story got out) Opening airdrop (10/17) Russian transcontinental flight crosses from Mirny to McMurdo (10/24). The Il-12 aircraft flew low over parts of the plateau including Pole...taking ice altitude measurements during the 14-hour flight. The faster return flight on 26 October took 8 hours. 8000' skiway dragged with weasel; only tractor (D-2) down for parts
Opening flight (10/28). At a temperature of -60°F/-51°C, the P2V-7 pilot turns his engines off; result: multiple oil leaks, a cracked cylinder and an engine change at Pole. Reporters on the turnaround flight end up staying more than 2 weeks Second D-2 airdropped (11/10), streams in (parachutes didn't work) and buries itself 45+ feet deep; still today a target visible on LC-130 radar Seismologist Father Linehan determines from seismic sounding (made at the bottom of the 45-foot-deep D-2 crater) that the station is 8,397 feet above bedrock which is 903 feet above sea level Station team learns that Pole would continue to be occupied after IGY (12/5); the official announcement was made in January by President Eisenhower that the U. S. Antarctic program would continue indefinitely beyond IGY Edmund Hillary arrives from Scott Base (1/4), leading the support leg of the Commonwealth Transantarctic Expedition (TAE)
Sir Edmund Hillary (left), Dr. Vivian Fuchs, and RADM George Dufek meet at Pole on 1/20... (photo information)
TAE leader Vivian Fuchs arrives from Shackleton Base (1/20) halfway on his trip across the continent to Scott Base
OIC Vernon Houk (left) chats with a couple of TAE members in the galley--Ralph A. Lenton (center), and Peter Mulgrew (right). Ralph was part of the eight-man advance team for Fuchs' party at Shackle- ton Base. They spent the 1956-57 winter living in a packing crate as they were unable to build their hut before winter set in, and many of their supplies were washed away during a storm. Peter was part of the New Zealand contingent led by Edmund Hillary; he died in 1979 on board the New Zealand DC-10 that crashed into Mt. Erebus (he was the commentator on that flight). This photo is from the Amundsen-Scott IGY South Pole Station 1958 yearbook (cover page).
OIC: LT Vernon N. Houk, population 18 (list and photo) US President Eisenhower first proposes Antarctic Treaty to other IGY participants (5/2) USS Norton Sound, while in Antarctic waters south of the Falklands, launches the first of three 3-stage X-17A rockets armed with low-yield (1.7 kiloton)atomic bombs (8/27); the bombs were detonated at 100-466 mile altitudes at about 40°S in "Project Argus," a classified study of the earth's magnetic field which contributed to the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts First Russian transantarctic flight (Mirny-McM) passes over Pole (10/24) First Pole appendicitis case, treated without surgery by Dr. Houk
First "power plant upgrade" -- two new 60 kw generators installed in a new power plant building, replacing the original 30kw units
Looking north down the garage entrance tunnel-- that structure housed the original generators. During the summer the ramp was shifted to the west of this location, and the new power plant and snow melter were built on the west side of the ramp (as seen here a year later). (Fred Mayeda)
Snow melter/water system upgraded using an asphalt melter in a separate structure just south of the new power plant, with two new water tanks in the shops building. This occurred after the original melter system had been seriously contaminated with bacteria from the dogs who sometimes visited the snow mine... Seismo tunnel hit by a box during airdrop, no injuries but a 2-day repair job "Chapel of Our Faith" built SW of galley--an Atwell hut (similar to a Jamesway but with a peaked roof that would prove no match for the snow load)
One of the tunnels, already reinforced with stacked fuel drums which are already starting to crumple. Not a good long-term solution (Fred Mayeda)
Galley, head and garage rebuilt, lab remodeled
Thanksgiving dinner 1958...OIC Sid Tolchin is at the head of the table. To his left is Lt. "Buz" Dryfoose, pilot of the VX-6 R4D-8 "Wilshie Duit". Oh yes, Buz contributed this Navy photograph...
First part of central fuel distribution system installed Weather Bureau sends the first Dobson spectrophotometer to Pole with Ben Remington, installed in a hut adjacent to BIT, but the optical wedges were distorted and it was unusable Russian team reaches the Pole of Inaccessibility for the first time (12/14)
The 18-man tractor team with the 3rd Soviet Antarctic Expedition arrived from Sovietskaya (77°58'S-89°16'E) and set up the station at 82°06'S-54°58'E, the point in Antarctica furthest from any ocean. The station had this hut for 4 men, a radio shack, and an electrical hut. A bust of Lenin was erected on a pedestal on the roof of the hut...after a brief ceremony they raised the USSR flag, shouted "Hurrah," and fired rockets into the air. A skiway was prepared, and an aircraft landed on the 19th, picking up several expedition mem- bers. The rest of the team left on the 26th...the sta- tion was deemed too remote for permanent use. The unda- ted photo is from waponline.it.
Geomagnetic "absolutes" hut completed; observations started Berthing Jamesway evacuated (1/30) due to roof collapse Little Rockford summer weather station (79°35'S-156°46'W) established along LA5-Byrd tractor trail near west edge of Ross Ice Shelf Little America V closed (1/19) by LTJG Frank Stokes after continuous use through 3 winters (use as a science base officially ended 12/31; other visitors including the Glacier and Arneb visited later to recover stuff) US turns over Wilkes Station to Australia (2/4), Ellsworth Station to Argen- tina (February)
OIC: LT Sidney Tolchin, population 17 (list and photos)
Official end of the US IGY science regime; NSF takes over from the National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) as the USCARP program begins ("Continuing
Antarctic Research Program") quickly renamed USARP
One of the USARPs was Fred Mayeda, from the Seattle office of the US Weather Bureau. Fred was the first Japanese-American to work at Pole (Fred Mayeda). Fred passed away in 1964, but his son Stan graciously sent me a fine collection of his Pole photos. Here's a full page of them!
Fuel shortage concerns keep building temperatures below 60°F for first half of winter First 200 club at Pole, using a cabinet-type steam bath constructed from a packing crate. This (plus a tanning bed) was set up in the original garage. Rules: +120° steam bath temperature followed by a roll in the snow at -80° or below First surgery at Pole, in the new sickbay operating room (successful treatment for a urinary retention problem) Record low temperature of -110°F/-79°C recorded (9/13) First permanent laboratory, a 20x48 T-5 structure that would evolve into the Eklund Biological Center, occupied at McMurdo in April, managed under con- tract by the Arctic Institute of North America
A view of the 59-60 station looking north, the ramp into the original garage is to the right. Note the parked D-4. Near the RAWIN dome (atop the south end of the galley building) a pibal (small uninstrumented "pilot" weather balloon used to observe upper air wind speeds) is about to be released. (US Navy cruisebook photo)
Heaviest recorded C-124 airdrop at Pole...
the first of 2 D4's (10/21), 9 tons, using 5 100'-diameter "G-11" chutes rigged 235' above the tractor. More pictures and info here
Antarctic Treaty signed by original 12 member nations (12/1)
A photograph of the galley from the DF-60 cruisebook. Not a lot of that art work on the walls yet...back to front: ET1 E. C. O'Quinn, RM2 E. C. Allison, Michael Sabbagh (summer Met), and BU3 Frank Dodd
First "South Pole Marker" created and installed
This marker, like those that would later appear in the 1970's and 80's, was NOT fabricated at Pole. And this marker was unique in that it was NOT intended to be installed at the actual pole, but rather inside the station nearby ((more info)
First major surgery: Dr. DuMais performs an appendectomy on CM3 H. F. Bibbee (12/23) Navy quarters and sickbay--two 20'x52' T-5 structures, constructed west of the galley
This view is looking WNW from near the south entrance door of the galley--the Navy berthing building (later named the Taj Mahal) is on the left, and sickbay is on the right. This picture was taken by Ron Lampert during the 1963-64 summer when this area was excavated to install the present structural steel roof framing in this area. (The OIC office/store/post office structure was erected in some of this space in 1969-70)
16-man Russian glaciology traverse arrives on round trip from Vostok at 2135 on 12/26; they stay until 12/29 and determine with seismic shots that the icecap is 9219' thick with its base at sea level
The 3-tractor traverse (seen here at Pole) was led by A. G. Dralkin, director of the Fourth Soviet Antarctic Expedition. (more information, photos and credit).
New 28'x56' T-5 garage erected 700' from the main station, with a 30kw emergency generator Second new geomag building erected along with new tunnel sections; not enough electric power would be available to heat both buildings All of the original comms antennas replaced
One of two prefabricated supposedly nonmagnetic T-5 structures erected east of the main station, about half way down that long tunnel to seismo. This is the larger "variables" building to the south of the main tunnel; the absolutes hut built the previous year was in the main tunnel (US Navy cruise- book photo)
Tunnel from science building to BIT rebuilt Antenna field rearranged in an attempt to minimize interferences between projects and with comms Power problems continue; tent stove used for heat in absolutes building causes 2 minor fires Little Rockford relocated to the east edge of Marie Byrd Land (79°30'S-147°19'W) Navy Chaplain Edwin Weidler conducts first protestant Communion service in chapel (1/8) First flights of C-130's (Air Force) to help move cargo inland
The first landing at a specially prepared skiway at McM. The first one of these made it to Pole on 1/28 with 14,000 lbs of cargo. There is speculation that the inland sta- tions might have had to close without this assistance (Details and stats). The Navy, meanwhile, ordered 4 Original 20' x 40' McMurdo cosray building erected between Crater Hill and Ob Hill for Bartol neutron monitors
This structure was located roughly behind the later site of the Thiel Earth Sciences Laboratory/FSTOP; and ended up getting replaced almost immediately because it was too close to the nuclear power plant site, which would affect its measurements (more information and photos)
OIC: LT Clay DuMais, population 19 (list) Generator problems and fuel shortage force severe crowding as new garage and barracks and old Jamesway are closed for the first part of winter (15 sleep in old barracks (club), 3 in science building and 1 in Dobson hut). Later, interior finish in new barracks was started, stopped; geomag buildings can't be heated Major fire in met building at Mirny during 110-knot windstorm kills 8, including station leader (8/3) Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) awards a contract to the Martin Company for the 1500 kilowatt reactor PM-3A for McMurdo Record low temperature at Vostok to date: -126.9°F/-88.3°C (8/24) Stanford begins 5 year contract to operate the McM biolab, and it is doubled in size
VX-6 gets Navy ski-equipped LC-130's to the ice (they were originally designated C-130-BL). The first landing at Pole was opening flight at 0147 local time (10/30). It was piloted by CDR Elbert B. Binkley with RADM Tyree on board. Cargo included a special 10-ton sled for cargo unloading. Flight time to Pole was only 1 hour and 54 minutes; on deck time was 12 minutes.
The first LC-130 to arrive at McMurdo, in October 1960, #321, is shown here being refueled at Williams Field (DF-61 Navy cruisebook photo). Here is PK Swartz' color photo of 321, along with the rest of the story of this famous aircraft.
First TACAN van delivered
Here it is getting unloaded, probably on that new cargo sled. A better GCA system was important now that most of the cargo was to be delivered this way rather than by airdrop.
Two major seismic traverses arrive...
This Byrd-Pole traverse showed up on 11 January with 2 orange D-8's that had originally traveled from LA5. One reason for the trip actually was to deliver the D-8's (more information and pictures).
...and a scientific traverse led by A. P, Crary which departed from McMurdo on 12/10 and showed up on 2/12 without fanfare because they were ahead of schedule. Crary was the first person to set foot on both the North and South poles...
In the galley, Dr. Albert P. Crary (center) discusses his 64-day 1230-mile traverse to Pole with SSL Dr. Ben Harlin (left) (Navy photo, AJ 12/87). Crary was the 7th expe- dition leader to arrive at Pole by surface transportation...the sequence was Amundsen, Scott, Hillary, Fuchs, the 1959-60 Russian traverse from Vostok, Havola, Crary. This 8-man traverse used 3 Sno-Cats with trailers (route map)
Navy artist Arthur Beaumont visits, sketches, paints first watercolors of station (outside, with antifreeze in the paint) (at age 70)
Arthur's amazing painting of Pole... More information about the artist, and his work...
First engineering study for a new Pole station. Results: "Present plans call for replacement of this station beginning in DF-64." Comms building erected, the final westward expansion of the station Interior finish work on the sickbay building Fuel line run to aurora tower Seismo tunnel reworked, widened Chapel (Atwell hut) collapses as does the old garage tunnel ceiling (12/27) New head (still a "holer") constructed on the south side of the passageway SE of the shops building...and a 30KW generator is installed in the same building with the engine fan reversed to blow warm air into the facility CNSFA Admiral Tyree shows up with the first 50-star American flag to be flown at Pole (2/8)
This flagpole at the geographic Pole was a popular photo spot for visiting DV's who often brought their own flags. On one occas- ion a visiting Congressman flew his state's flag. When it was leaked to the press that he had flown it upside down, a the station got a strong nastygram from above...caption, credits and more photos
Construction begins on new buried Byrd Station 6 miles NE of original station, with buildings in trenches with arched roofs based on proven Camp Century, Greenland design
Here is one of the freshly dug tunnels. These were created with Peter Snow Millers, which worked well at Byrd but did not do so well a few years later when they were used for sur- face prep for the domed station at Pole. These trenches were covered with Wonder Arch, the same material used for the Pole arches, and the station buildings constructed inside. These trench walls would narrow due to the weight of new snow, so they had to be "shaved" every so often. (From D. R. Walk, Byrd '61 OIC) Excavation and site prep completed for McM nuclear plant Martin Pomerantz makes first trip to the ice, and Pole... New Dobson ozone hut erected (perhaps to see if the spectrophotometer would work better there than in BIT or the aurora tower) Replacement cosray lab (present one) built in McMurdo because original Pass site was too close to nuclear plant radiation. The two sites operated in parallel at first so data could be standardized. The old structure was reconstructed at Pole in 1963-64 (more info and photos) Major McM fire destroys VX-6 parachute loft and avionics shop (story/photos) Sir Charles Wright, once on Scott's 1912 expedition, reaches Pole at last (2/12)
At age 74 in 1961, Sir Charles, nicknamed Silas for his middle name Seymour, had been the physi- cist on Scott's ill-fated venture. He was a member of the team that located Scott's tent and the bodies during the 1912-13 summer. This 1961 Pole trip was a LC-130 turnaround flight in February, to take a gravity measurement. This picture was taken when he visited Byrd Station earlier in the season. (more infor- mation)
OIC: LT P. K. Swartz, population 20 (list and photos)
The South Pole post office; this is PK Swartz perhaps contemplating the philatelic mail... photo courtesy of Billy-Ace Baker; see the caption and more information.... In these days the post office was located in the NE corner of the galley building.
Finally...enough power to heat the variables hut (May) Summer biology research project continues as winter gardening and other fun
A summer UCLA science project brought these bean plants to Pole, along with cockroaches, fungi, fruit flies, and hamsters, in a study of bio- logical clocks and whether they would get messed up at Pole. The cockroaches and fruit flies were made to go away, but these bean plants stayed around for the winter, along with a few of the hamsters. Result, the unique midwinter hamster races of 1961! (more info)
Congress approves present "Antarctic Service Medal" for service after 1/1/46 (prewar Byrd/USAS expeditions had separate medals) Russian physician at Novolazarevskaya removes his own appendix
Dr. Leonid Rogozov, the winterover physician at Novolazarevskaya Station (Novo) awoke on 29 April 1961 with weakness, nausea, pain and fever. The next day, the symptoms of a perfo- rated appendix and peritonitis became apparent. Immediate surgery was indicated, and he had to be his own surgeon (left). Here's the story, with journal links and another photo. Thanks to Alex Zaitsev for unearthing the original info!
Antarctic Treaty ratified, officially goes into effect (6/23) Medevac from Byrd (4/9) for Leonid Kuperov a Russian exchange scientist with an undetermined stomach ailment, first such use of C-130 aircraft in winter
Here's the first winter medevac LC-130 flight taking off from Williams Field for ChCh with the Russian scientist aboard...well, despite that JATO it didn't make it on this try, they had to pack the skiway down a bit more before it got off. The full story of the medevac, including the strange final twist that came to light 50+ years later in 2012, is here.
Marble plaque presented to the station by Norwegian and UK government repre- sentatives (10/30)
The presentation ceremony marked the 50th anni- versary year of Amundsen's and Scott's arrival. This is a more recent photo of the commemorative plaque, which is of course still on display in the station today. Here's the story and more photos.
Navy P2V Neptune crashes at Wilkes (11/9, the day after Pole opening flight) killing 5 including glaciologist Edward Thiel (crash documentation from Billy-Ace Baker on Dave Riley's site, from Darryn Schneider, and from a May 2012 Antarctic Sun article about the memorial plaque installed near the crash site). Byrd memorial statue dedicated on Memorial Avenue near Arlington National cemetery (11/13). Weather Bureau tries again and gets a Dobson spectrophotometer to monitor ozone (11/17) supposedly the first successful operation according to NOAA New hut for Baker hydrogen generator erected adjacent to balloon inflation room (Gill H2 generator remained) Another 50th anniversary event--presentation of this 1911 Pole photo signed by the last survivor of Amundsen's visit (12/7)
This photo was a signed personal gift from Olav Bjaaland, who had died earlier in the year at the age of 88. Guests at the Pole presentation ceremony included Captain Finn Ronne (the rest of the story).
USGS completes result of detailed icecap position survey with daylight star observations: their result--the station is moving 20m per year 2 Argentine DC-3's visit from Ellsworth
This was the first Argentine visit to Pole, but by no means the last. The team left behind this plaque which was on the wall of the dome pool room until 2005 (more information).
Six skuas are brought to Pole in an LC-130 and released (1/25); one of these birds is observed with a mate at their Camp Crozier nest site 10 days later Fire destroys the air-traffic control (ATC)/passenger terminal wanigan (Feb)
This lovely structure was one of many items left behind by Hillary in January 1959 (This 1958-59 photo by Fred Mayeda). Here's a view of the other side, behind the trash sled
First turbo helicopters (Army), capable of 13,000' altitude, deployed to support McM area science
 "USARP Swiss Chalet" built in McMThis fancy facility, actually an embellished Jamesway, was the NSF headquarters office. It was  located in approximately the same location as the present Chalet, with, of course, a large picture window to provide a view of the helos and the distant mountains. (Left photo by
Steve Kauffman (about 1965); right photo from a U. S. Navy cruisebook)
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PM-3A nuclear reactor arrives at McM aboard USS Arneb (12/12) Camp Ski-Hi, first upper atmosphere/VLF summer station (near future Siple, associated with conjugate radio site in Quebec) established (75°10'S-77°10'W) First nuclear powered automated weather station put out 60 miles south of McM, (by traverse, it weighed 3700 pounds) New buried Byrd Station dedicated (2/13) and occupied, powered by 4 150kw generators
Speaking of buried facilities, this is some of the Pole fuel storage...empty drums were stacked in this trench which was then roofed over. The drums were filled with a hose from the surface. Later, fuel could be drawn from these drums with a pump or siphon. Much easier than handling lots of full drums. Since new 55-gallon drums later became scarce after bladders came into use, the old ones were often reused. I probably handled some of these same drums in our 1977 emergency fuel cache. (US Navy DF-62 cruisebook photo)
OIC: LT Malcolm Lentz, population 22 (list) Memorial to Admiral Byrd dedicated in New Zealand
The memorial was dedicated on 3/11 by the Prime Minister... details and more recent photos are here
First of 2 winters at "Delta One" otherwise known as Byrd Auroral Substation, 40 miles northeast of Byrd. 3 men--the smallest US station since Byrd's in 1934 Monument to Admiral Byrd dedicated at Mt. Victoria lookout in Wellington (3/11) with stones, plaques and a bronze bust McM nuclear plant first goes critical (3/4, only 3 months after the reactor was delivered), first power output to station (7/12) USNS Eltanin, first exclusive NSF Antarctic research vessel (converted from a cargo ship), begins 15-year program (June) US Atomic Energy Commission cancels the contract for a portable nuclear plant at Byrd Station because of cost increases, schedule slippages and design issues (10/1)
First US transcontinental flight (McM-PA,November)
Last year of fuel drums airdropped by the AF/first year of bulk fuel deliveries
by VX-6 LC-130's using fuselage tanks, plus the bladders to put it all in and
the first steel fuel arch ("Cache #1" with 3 25,000 gallon bladders and a
smaller one)
Fuel Cache #2, which was built a year later during 1963-64. This arch has 6 10,000 gallon bladders. Unlike more recent photos, here the bladders are full, the lights are on, and you can't reach them...photo by Bob Nyden during the 1971-72 season
Replacement power plant (not the last one) built inside the builders' tunnel which was enclosed by a new wonder arch Summer visitors include: Lowell Thomas, Gen. Jimmy Doolittle, and... the first helicopters to arrive at Pole (2/4); 3 Army UH-1B's that had supported USGS survey teams flew from near Mt. Weaver (87°S 154°W); they'd flown to Mt. Weaver from McM via Brockton earlier in the season (they were dismantled and flown back to McM in LC-130's) First "Pole Bowl" football game (Thanksgiving, 22 November), final score was NMCB-8: 6, USARP's 0. No football was available so a basketball was used (2012 Tri-City Times (Imlay, MI) article) VLF hut built about 1/2 mile north of the station. This buried hut was also used as an emergency cache and had a backup generator "NRL" building also built 120' ENE of balloon inflation; used for radiation measurement equipment that was moved out of the met office to give more office space Seismo vault replaced
Not quite buried yet; the seismometer vault is the larger building, the recording buil- ding is on the left, and the station is to the west in the distance. New equipment was installed, part of the World Wide Seismograph network, and operated by the Coast and Geodetic Survey (USC&GS; predecessor organization to USGS). (Photo by R. N. Davis, USC&GS, from the Bulletin of the U. S. Antarctic Projects Offi- cer, Summer 1964)
USARP barracks built on site of original collapsing Jamesway Darkroom enlarged
The radio crew inside the new comm center at the west end of the station. Left to right: "Tom" Thomas, Dave Peterson and Gary Larsen. Note the dart board!(caption/info)
Mary Alice McWhinnie, pioneer US female USARP researcher, visits the ice for
the first time (to the Peninsula on the research vessel USNS Eltanin)
Summer/winter Eights Station established at Ski-Hi site near the Antarctic
Peninsula; 8 "vans" (modules that would fit in an aircraft...fabricated by
a Canadian concern, the Alberta Trailer Company (ATCO) that would later
build Plateau, Byrd Longwire/Siple I, and the domed station Pole modules)
Ellsworth Station closed (12/30; this station on the Filchner Ice Shelf had
been turned over to Argentina 1 February 1959. By now it has gone to sea)
NZ instructors first employed for snowcraft survival ("happy camper") school
at McMurdo
First survey selects Arthur Harbor, Anvers Island site for proposed Palmer
Station (1/22-25)
OIC: LT Don Bessinger, population 22 (list) Another engineering study on the proposed new station released (6/26)--this one is by NCEL (Naval Civil Engineering Lab--Port Hueneme) and recommends "...an elevated structure and underlying tunnel for the camp core, with the major outlying facilities connected to this core by fully lined under- snow tunnels." (link to abstract). Continental overflight with 2 LC-130's, RADM Reedy, and Lowell Thomas--14.5 hours Capetown-McM, then on to ChCh passes over Pole after sunrise (10/1) (the rest of the story from Dave Riley's VX-6 website...) 3-man Byrd Auroral Substation closes (10/9) after second winter--this year's 3-man team included OSU glaciologist Art Rundle (who wintered the first 2 years at Palmer, 1965 and 1966) and Allan Gill (who may have been the Allan Gill who accompanied Wally Herbert on his 1968--69 North Pole adventure)
President Kennedy killed in Dallas TX (11/22)...due to comms blackouts and no flights, Pole folks don't find out for 20 days Air Force C-130E's (wheeled) used to augment ChC-McM cargo flights; one of these overflies Pole (12/3) on a flight to McMurdo--13 hours flight time Steel arches replace earlier wood-supported supply and seismo tunnels
Looking north at the entrance to the newly completed supply tunnel (photo by Ron Lampert)
...and here's the new seismo tunnel--new, unfrosted and uncrumpled (photo by Bob Tate). One of the geomag huts had to be relocated because there wasn't enough arch material
Twin 220' "forward scatter" science antenna towers erected (the project never
worked well)
Second fuel arch constructed ("#2" east of the builder's tunnel, with
6 10k bladders)
Construction of fuel arch #2 underway south of the USARP barracks. At the far right is a three-sided plywood wind screen upwind of the roof hatch of the balloon inflation shel- ter (photo by Ron Lampert)
Club 90 building (original Clements building used for berthing) rebuilt
This was some of the work being done by NMCB-8 this season...basically rebuilding the struc- ture from scratch. It still remains a Clements hut (flat roof). Here the Seabees are replacing the floor panels (official US Navy photo by PH2 Philip T. McClure taken 5 December; with thanks to Henry Storm)
Yet another power plant building constructed Forgotten buried orange D-8 "bow tanker" dug out of snow near the garage; blade installed (one of 2 D-8's that came from Byrd in 1961) Station completely dug out for major reconstruction of tunnels
Looking north at the central portion of the station; the white structure is the galley; at left is fuel arch #1 which was constructed the previous season. In this view the area west of the galley has been dug out to install the rigid frame (prefab structural steel with a roof deck) over the food storage area. (photo by Ron Lampert)
Cardinal Spellman visits to celebrate midnight Mass on Christmas Eve
The Cardinal, along with RADM Floyd Dreith, the U.S. Navy Chief of Chaplains, flew to McM on 22 December. They flew to Pole on Christmas Eve; the Cardinal conducted Mass (left) and presented the celebrants with a special medal. RADM Dreith held a candlelight service for Protestants. They tra- veled back to McM on the 25th and held services there as well. The Cardinal also held a memorial Mass at McMurdo on 22 December in honor of the late President Kennedy. (Photo and info from the Bulletin of the U.S. Antarctic Projects Officer, February 1964.) First (to date) visit from a head of state...Sir Bernard Fergusson, Governor- General of NZ, stops in (11/11), and the oldest reported visitor at age 81-- the Hon. Walter Nash (former PM of New Zealand) visits (1/29) Bartol and Dr. Pomerantz set up first cosray detectors (buried in lead bricks in a separate hut north of the snow melter).
The hut (seen here in 1965-66) was reconstruc- ted from the original McM cosray building that was too close to the nuclear plant. Martin Pome- rantz broke a finger while securing the copper screen shielding the hut. Note also the black D8 which was a fixture at Pole for many years. Lars Andersson (1966 cosray w/o)
Aurora domes replaced in aurora tower BIF (balloon inflation) doors enlarged, hydrogen generator storage area built US Weather Bureau w/o 1963 team leaves Wilkes Station, ending US participation at the now-Australian base US Secretary of the Interior approves renaming of the Antarctic Peninsula (21 February) Latest closing flight to date...25 February
OIC: LT William E. McClean, population 22 (list and photo) Time capsule hidden in striped flagpole that would later be the Ceremonial Pole (where is it now?) First head with 3 flush toilets and urinal, plus laundry, water tanks etc... constructed in the northeast corner of builders tunnel), it included a gray water system for flushing the toilets! DFA distribution piping installed to reduce manhauling of drums to refill building day tanks. Reported fuel use for the year: 220,000 gallons Amateur astronomical observatory constructed First winter airdrop (well, 9/30) with mail and freshies, from an LC-130 with RADM Reedy. It left Melbourne, flew over Pole, and landed at Byrd before continuing to McM...after the Pole airdrop the sliding door wouldn't close; upon arrival at Byrd the nose ski could not be lowered...plane landed safely without it (details as described by Leo Campbell (VX-6) and Phillip Law (ANARE) who were on board...) Spectacular spring fire (10/13) destroys garage (free-standing structure 150 yards south of the supply tunnel) with exploding DFA drums shooting their ends off like frisbees; fire smolders for a week. The fire started in a Coleman heater in the office, a lean-to addition to the main structure
The D4 works at digging out the garage in the predawn days of early spring 1964, shortly before the garage and the tractor are destroyed by fire (photo by Ron Lampert). Three tractors parked in and around the structure were destroyed, including one of the D-8's, and efforts to fight the fire at -67°F in 10-knot winds were fruitless
Fire destroys Hallett science building (3/6)...and Last winter at Hallett; NZ involvement ends (summer US use for penguin studies to continue) Appendectomy surgery at McM Second midwinter medevac from McM (6/26): BU1 Bethel McMullen injured in fall... well, on 20 June he suffered a severe back injury in the fire house after sliding down the pole head first (really!) ... (the firehouse was then in the large Quonset hut which later became Hill Cargo (Building 61), northeast of Building 155) Little Jeana weather station established (October, 81°23'S-170°45'E) built on the Ross Ice Shelf replacing earlier Beardmore stations Top of page | Continue to 1965-75