LATEST ADDITIONS
THE EXTRACTION OF ROG T’S TOOTH
Winter at Fossil Bluff lasts about 2 1/2 months. We defined the Winter, generally, as the period of darkness, when the sun never crept above the horizon, and to the extent that the light is too low to take scientific or surveying observations.
Towards the end of Winter, in August 1974, we were preparing for our first early Spring trip. However, RogT (Roger Tindley) had been experiencing increasing pain each day from his upper left molar tooth. We were concerned that this would impact our Spring travel season. This travel period has limited days for field work between the return of the sun and the George VI Sound’s (the “Sound”) surface becoming waterlogged. The sun soon heats up the dark mudstone formations of East Alexander Island and copious melt run- off forms fast flowing streams which then culminate in large, blue lakes on the ice shelf surface. Surface travel (and field work) then becomes impossible. So, we have to get all our work done before this occurs. Each day of early spring, therefore, is important.
A FID MOVIE – WITH SOUND!
A YouTube movie submitted by Rod Pashley, courtesy of the UKAHT
67 Degrees South by Richard (Dick) Taylor, Horseshoe 1955
THE DEMISE OF THE DOGS
Submitted by Rob Campbell-Lent
Discussions at the 2024 Marguerite Bay Reunion in Buxton prompted me to catalog some of the stories on this website about the eventual end of The Dogs as a key element of Fids; and to acknowledge the feelings of some Fids towards their dogs, and how, even after 50 years, they are still affected by what they had to do to the dogs:
Eulogy to the Husky – David Golton. Argentine Islands 1947 – 49. Credits: David Golton . Rick Atkinson and Jonathan Walton – “The Book That Wasn’t” LINK
My Story – Adrian Almond LINK
Dogs. One of the Many Reasons I Loved Them. Dave Singleton LINK
The Final Dog Days of Sledge Romeo. 1974/75 Field Season – Bernie Care LINK
The 1975 Cull of the dogs. Stonington Base closed. 1974-1975. Chris Edwards. LINK
Dogs & Pups. BAS Dog teams history & Photos. Family Tree & Pups history cards. Credits: Brigid Wainwright LINK
Removal of the 14 remaining dogs from Rothera – February 1994. Credits: BAS, & for further information: “Of Dogs and Men: Fifty Years in the Antarctic” Edited by Kevin Walton and Rick Atkinson (1996) LINK
BAS Club. Sledge Dog Memorial Credits: BAS Club LINK
BAS Husky Sledge Dog Monument Unveiled LINK
FIDS DATABASES
Compiled by Rob Campbell-Lent
After many, many manhours of effort, databases compiled by Rob-Campbell Lent – a ready reference to all aspects of Fids – LINK. Note that the fastest and easiest way to navigate in the database is using the “hamburger”. – the three horizontal lines bottom left at all times.
SAD NEWS FROM ALI SKINNER
(following the Fort William Annual Meeting)
Hi folks,
Following on from our fantastic weekend in Fort William which Mary and myself thoroughly enjoyed unfortunately I have some sad news.
Mary died very suddenly and unexpectedly early on Saturday morning of a massive heart attack which did not respond to my CPR or the paramedics attentions which were within 30 minutes of my call.
Although not in the best of health or mobility due to increasing arthritis issues she was game to the last and I’m doubly glad now that she decided to come to Fort William, make the trip under the Caledonian Canal in a Tesla to visit Ian at his house and enjoy all of your company and the Hogwarts express trip with Alan and co. Thanks to you all guys and gals.
Ali
MERITOCRACY
Submitted by Dog Holden, which seems to not need any further explanation:
BELIEVING in meritocracy can be a “racist” microaggression, polar scientists have been told.
The British Antarctic Survey (BAS), which oversees Britain’s research stations in Antarctica, claimed that believing “the most qualified person should get the job” can be a form of “racial harassment”.
In an inclusivity guide issued to employees, the organisation says the “myth of meritocracy” asserts “that race does not play a role in life successes”.
It defines meritocracy as the “belief that performance alone will be enough to earn recognition [and] promotion” and says it can be a “microaggression”.
Scientists working for the national polar research institute were also warned that saying “I believe the most qualified person should get the job” can count as “racial harassment”.
The guide advises against saying “everyone can succeed in this society, if they work hard enough”.
It claims that anyone who uses those phrases sends the “message” that “people of colour are lazy and/or incompetent and need to work harder” or that “people of colour are given extra unfair benefits due to their race”.
‘Diversity is not a self-evident good that is to be respected at all costs’
Alka Sehgal-Cuthbert, the director of campaign group Don’t Divide Us, said much of the guide was “rooted in the ideological lens of EDI” and focused on imposing “intrusive and arbitrary speech codes”.
She told The Telegraph: “Diversity is not a self-evident good to be respected at all costs, and management shouldn’t be in the business of trying to impose this fake value because, ultimately, it stifles a more genuine diversity of thinking.
“As such, EDI speech and conduct codes are likely to foster hypersensitivity, grievance and stultifying conformity. None of these are good for ‘good relations’ at work.”
The guide also claims that both of the phrases “all lives matter” and “there is only one race, the human race” are microaggressions that “indicate that a white person does not want to acknowledge race”.
These phrases deny “a person of colour’s racial/ethnic experience” and send the message that minorities must “assimilate… to the dominant culture”.
The guide also uses the controversial term “sex assigned at birth”, which claims that biological sex is not innate and is instead “assigned” based on how a person’s anatomy is perceived when they are born.
A BAS spokesman said: “BAS wants to create a responsible culture where we support inclusive leadership that puts everyone’s safety first. Our guide provides learning and information on how to be part of an inclusive community.”
WINTER WORK AT HORSE POINT – OUR MOST CHALLENGING PROJECT
The story of the Horse Point Project during the last winter at Fossil Bluff, by Graham Tourney
(NEW) THE LAST WORD ON
SIMBA, THE INCREDIBLE DESTINY OF AN ANTARCTIC DOG
(Translated from the original in Spanish, as best we could. This Story is from Miguel Acosta, a mechanic with the Fuerza Area Argentina, part of the crew of TA33 and TA05 planes, at the command of Mario L. Olezza at Matienzo.
The story was sent to, and submitted by, Dog Holden. We will leave it to Fids to surely comment as to the likelihood of where this dog came from; and if able, to tell more of the facts of the story. So far, we have determined there was a Fids dog so named.
MIKE SADLER – STONINGTON – 1946
Mike Sadler joined the crew of the MV Trepassey, led by Edward W. Bingham. Mike was awarded the Polar Medal for establishing a base on Stonington Island, which connected to the Antarctic mainland via a glacier. In 2021, the area vacated by the glacier’s retreat was named “Sadler’s Passage” in recognition of his work. (The old Ramp).
UNITED STATES ‘EAST BASE’ – ANTARCTIC PENINSULA
A USARP Paper submitted by Bernie Care, recording the story of the USARP ‘East Base’ on Stonington Island, published in the “Antarctic Journal of the United States”
40 YEARS OF SURVEY WORK AT STONINGTON
Slide shows commemorating 50 Years since the closure of Base “E” Stonington after 40 Years of survey work, starting with the glass slides from BGLE
THE LAST WINTER AT FOSSIL BLUFF
This is the story of our return to the Fossil Bluff base from fieldwork in June 1975, by Graham Tourney
Bad light had precluded further accurate surveying and glaciological work. The sun had disappeared below the northern horizon and would not return, at our location, for two and a half months.