British Parachutist Plans Drop At Pole

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28481, 10 January 1958, Page 10

British Parachutist Plans Drop At Pole

A former British Army major and secret service agent, Mr William Stanley Moss, who is the author of “11l Met by Moonlight,” arrived in Christchurch by air from London yesterday hoping to be parachuted from an American Navy aircraft on to the South Pole.

Mr Moss, who is the leader of the British North Pole Expedition which will leave for the North Pole in May to evolve rescue organisation for commercial airliners which fly the North Polar route, hoped to leave Christchurch on a United States Neptune which will leave for McMurdo Sound from Christchurch today. This appears to be impossible because of limited accommodation, but he said last evening that his information was that another American aircraft would be leaving for McMurdo on January 24. United States Navy -sources in Christchurch said -last evening that a request had been made by authorities in London for such a flight to be made, but confirmation was not available. It would be almost impossible for this flight to be made today. Further instructions were awaited, they said.

Mr Moss landed at Sydney yesterday after short notice of his flight south from Lord Tedder, who is the chairman of the North Pole Expedition. He immediately left lor Harewood hoping to be able to arrange his polar flight in Christchurch. Jump* from 3000 Feet Mr Moss said he hoped to jump from 3000 feet above the Pole, which in itself was 11,000 feet high. Rarified air over the Pole would mean that any aircraft attempting a parachute drop would not be

able to slow down to the normal speed for parachuting. . “I’d have to bale out at about 200 miles an hour,” he said. Often parachutes would not open in the thin air, he added. “They tell me here they have already had a few Roman Candles when they have been dropping supplies. But I’ll be taking two parachutes; I’m not going to risk my neck yet.”

.The South Pole was an ideal ground for studying the effects of Polar conditions on parachutes, as bases were established. On the North Pole any drop would mean that the parachutist would have “to get out on his own feet, without assistance.”

He had hoped to see Dr. Vivian Fuchs at the Pole, but this would depend on the ~“ weather and the goodwill of the Americans.”

Arrangements for the drop had been initiated by Lord tedder who, he expected, had cabled American authorities.

The request for the journey had been made at short notice, he said. “I didn't even let my wife know I was going. She'was away with the children over Christmas. If she had known she probably would not have let me make the journey." said Mr Moss.

Mr Moss has brought much parachuting equipment with him and said if he was granted permission for the flight he hoped to obtain more from the Americans at McMurdo Sound. •

No man had ever parachuted onto either Pole, he said, and it would assist in the building up of prestige for the North Polar Expedition if this could be done. The possibility of parachuting rescue teams into polar regions which were traversed by commercial aircraft was one which would -be watched closely in Britian, said Mr Moss.