RETURN TO McMURDO

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28478, 7 January 1958, Page 8

RETURN TO McMURDO

Polar Party’s Flight

(N.Z. Press- Association—Copyright) SCOTT BASE, January 6.

Sir Edmund Hillary and Derek Wright touched down on the McMurdo Sound air-strip in a United States Navy Neptune just after one o’clock this morning. Jim Bates and Murray Ellis arrived in the second Neptune an hour later.

The men, not surprisingly, looked pleased to step on to the comparatively warm snow of the McMurdo Sound bay ice. They were still in their stained and somewhat tattered plateau clothing and were bushily bearded.

Excitement, it seemed, would never end for them. The first aircraft had to land in e wreath of dense ground fog, and it overran some oil drums, which caused a heavy lurch and a tossing about of kitbags in the aircraft. On the weasel run back to Scott Ease the party briefly visited an unexpected melt pool shrouded in the fog, and found that the vehicle was dipping rather rapidly into the sea. It was the work of a moment for the men to leap out on to firmer ice.

However, the weasel drove out smoothly enough and Scott Base was soon a place for a general homecoming. Piles of Mall

Each man had a pile of mail, parcels, and telegrams which he turned to at once while he was answering questions and having a hot brew from cups instead of plateau mugs. At the airstrip to meet the returning Pole party were a score of men, mostly from the American base, and mostly with cameras.

Sir Edmund Hillary chatted quietly with the McMurdo Sound men before going to the weasel for the ride to Scott Base.

In the aircraft the New Zealanders brought their sleeping bags, personal gear and tents from the plateau. The main equipment they carried on to the Pole will remain there for the present. Once back in the cheery mess room at Scott Base, and with their mail through its first reading, the men were looking for bed. They talked a little about their arrival at the Pole, but were rather looking for other discussion and were interested to pick up on the movements of the other field parties. U.S. Hospitality Praised

They spoke warmly of the American hospitality at the Pole, where they slept in their first beds since reaching the plateau. On Saturday night, through the Pole station radio, the men heard the special programme broadcast to them by Radio New Zealand, which included family messages. Reception was good. From now on, the men will be able to go home quite quickly from Scott Base. Jim Bates will be the first.

Sir Edmund Hillary said this morning that he was not sure when or where he would meet Dr. Vivian Fuchs. He added that he was concerned at the difficulties and delays being suffered by the British party in view of the lateness of the season, and pointed out that the distance from Dr. Fuchs’s present position to Scott Base by the agreed route was a little more than 1600 miles. Meanwhile, from Scott Base, Sir Edmund Hillary will attend to support for his other field parties and further aerial stocking of Depot 700, which has been requested by Dr. Fuchs.