NEW ANTARCTIC COMMANDER

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29936, 25 September 1962, Page 19

NEW ANTARCTIC COMMANDER

Admiral J. R. Reedy Due Tomorrow The new commander of the United States Naw Antarctic support force "(Rear-Ad-miral J. R. Reedy) will arrive in Christchurch in a Navy Super Constellation on Wednesday afternoon. After a brief stay in the city Admiral Reedy is expected to fly to the Antarctic. possibly next week-end. He will be accompanied by his wife and 16-year-old son. John, who, it is expected, will attend school here.

Until appointed to his new command, Admiral Reedy was the commander of the United States Navy's carrier division (20) based in the Med i terranean. Although October 1 has been set for the start of major air operations between Christchurch and McMurdo Sound, the first aircraft may leave at the week-end. Preparations are in hand at the American base for aircraft pilots and eouipment to be ready for a flight or flights, on either September 29 or 30. depending on the weather.

The VX6 squadron’s skiequipned Hercules will make the flight.

According to Rear-Admiral D. M. Tyree, at present at McMurdo station, work on the large ice-runway is proceeding around the clock.

Although much still has to be done Admiral Tyree, in a message to his Christchurch heado Harter's, said he believed the runway would be readv to receive wheeled aircraft by October 1. Although two Hercules estab’ished the auxiliary weather stations at Little Rockford and Beardmore early last week, neither station is at present manned. The generator equipment at both stations is still faulty. Before continuous inland flights can begin in the Antarctic these stations will have to be manned. This is Why there is a strong possibility that a Hercules may leave Christchurch on either Saturday or Sunday in order to make the flights from McMurdo to these auxiliary bases to deliver three men to each of them.