LETTER FROM POLE

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28179, 18 January 1957, Page 8

LETTER FROM POLE

Antarctic Society Gets Message

Not often can an airmail letter be expected from the South Pole, but the president of the Christchurch branch of the New Zealand Antarctic Society (Mr H. F. Griffiths) opened one addressed to himself and members of his society recently. Written by Dr. Paul S. Siple. who is the director of the American South Pole research station, the letter is probably the first piece of personal correspondence ever to be flown as mail from the South Pole. The letter is dated December 15, 1956, and it was flown out on the United States Navy P2V7 Neptune which arrived in Christchurch on January 14. Mr Griffiths believes that as there have been no flights from the Antarctic recently his letter would be a philatelist’s piece. . Dr. Siple and Mr Griffiths first met when in 1928 Dr. Siple, then an Eagle Scout, passed through Christchurch on his way to the Antarctic in Rear-Admiral Richard Byrd’s first expedition. History recently repeated itself when Mr Griffiths met Eagle Scout Richard Chappell on a similar trip nearly 30 years later. Sending greetings from the South Pole. Dr. Siple said that a comfortable base had been built in record time by his 23 construction workers. He will be the only member of the party wintering at the Pole.

Dr. Siple hopes to make radio contact with New Zealand during the winter when interference and static will be at a minimum.

Referring to the New Zealand Antarctic Society, Dr. Siple said. “I look forward to your group becoming one of the strongest in the world. You are certainly on the threshold of all Antarctic activities of the Pacific side,” he said.