N.Z. ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27733, 10 August 1955, Page 12

N.Z. ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION

Hillary Discusses Plans “NOW ASSURED OF SHIP ” (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, August 9. The New Zealand Antarctic Expedition was now assured of a ship, said the leader of the expedition (Sir Edmund Hillary) today. "There is a number of possibilities in Europe, and we are now assured of getting one,” he said. “One is certain, but we are considering other possibilities because they are cheaper and perhaps more suitable.” Once ashore in McMurdo Sound, the/ expedition intended to use aircraft as its main freight transport, he said. “The dogs will be most important, but they will be used mainly for reconnaissance. It will be a combination of aircraft and dogs. The dogs will go out, say, 100 miles, and reconnoitre for a. suitable landing strip. When the land party finds and prepares the strip, it will signal in the planes, which will fly in most of the equipment. “With aircraft—Beavers and Austers —carrying most of the freight, the dog teams will be able to travel light and travel fast to reconnoitre,” he said. “However, the land parties will carry sufficient food and fuel to get them back to base in case of air breakdowns." This precaution was essential, said Sir Edmund Hillary. Antarctic blizzards were notorious for the speed with which they struck out of a clear sky. Flights Over Plateau The Beavers and Austers, equipped with skis, could land on the roughlyprepared strips selected by the ground parties. The planes had a ceiling high enough to fly over the Polar plateau, which rose in parts to 9000 ft. If the mountains were higher, the planes would fly to the plateau up the glaciers. Asked what he thought of the conditions over the Commonwealth party's route from the Weddell Sea to the South Pole, near which it will be met by the New Zealanders, Sir Edmund Hillary said: “No-one knows. They think that a high mountain range extends into the continent from south of South America. This may be impassable. That’s what makes this thing so interesting.” Through this completely unexplored territory, the British would advance with tractors and dogs, said Sir Edmund Hillary. They would be supplied by aircraft, which would also reconnoitre to find suitable routes through mountains and ice for the land parties, he said. Selection of Volunteers The selection of the volunteers for the New Zealand expedition would begin almost immediately, said Sir Edmund Hillary. With the approaching summer, six men would have to be selected as observers with the British party to the Weddell Sea, the Americans to McMurdo Sound, and the Australians to Mawson. With applications for the expedition closing at the end of this month; this team of six observers would be chosen early in September* he said. The other members of the training party would be announced soon afterwards. These volunteers would' not be required to dndergo an appendix operation, said the secretary of the Ross Sea Committee (Mr A. S. Helm). The only man for whom that operation might be essential would be the expedition’s doctor. Thjs had not been made quite clear in/ K previous report, he said. Flight Lieutenant Gordon Murray Haslop had been chdsen. to fly with the British Commonwealth Antarctic crossing party in the Weddell Sea this summer, said Sir Edmund Hillary. Flight Lieutenant Haslop, who was m the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1942, and after the war flew on the Berlin airlift, joined the Royal Air Force in 1951. Son of the Rev. J. Haslop and Mrs Haslop, of Te Aroha, he was born in Canada in 1922, and came to New Zealand with his parents in 1927.