ENDEAVOUR IN LYTTELTON

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28153, 17 December 1956, Page 22

ENDEAVOUR IN LYTTELTON

LOADED, READY FOR VOYAGE SOUTH H.M.N.Z.S. Endeavour, the New Zealand Antarctic expedition’s supply ship, will sail late this evening from Lyttelton —the departure port for four previous Antarctic expeditions. Captain Scott’s Discovery used Lyttelton in his first expedition—l9ol--4 —Sir Ernest Shackleton was here in the Nimrod in 1908 and 1909. and Scott was back again, on his second and last expedition, in 1910, in the Terra Nova. The ship, with the survivors, returned in 1913. Lyttelton has been used this season and last by the United States Antarctic expedition. When the Endeavour, commanded by Captain H. Kirkwood. 0.8. E., D.S.C., R.N., arrived at Lyttelton yesterday morning she berthed on the west side of No. 5 wharf, opposite H.M.N.Z.S. Hawea, one of her two escorting frigates. It was a tricky piece of work for Captain Kirkwood to move into his berth, with the s.s. Huntingdon close by at No. 6 east, and the wings of the R.N.Z.A.F. Antarctic flight’s Auster projecting over either side of the stern. Small and sturdy in appearance, the Endeavour is heavily loaded. A large amount of deck cargo is carried, well lashed down for the journey south. The afterdeck is occupied by drums of fuel and the Auster, which is fitted with its floats ready for its reconnaissance flights in the pack ice. On the foredeck are three snocat tractors and three more are stowed below. Almost all the deck space is claimed by cargo. Yesterday most of the crew and all the passengers—about 15 rqembers of the expedition—were ashore. Today the ship will be >'isited bv the Duke of Edinburgh, who will speak with members of the expedition and the crew. A notice on the ship’s notice board last evening concluded by reminding them that the Duke “is a 'small boat’ man, too.”