U.S. Army Group To Fly South Today

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30050, 7 February 1963, Page 8

U.S. Army Group To Fly South Today

Future installation of nuclear power plants in tihe Antarctic may be accomplished by the adoption of more recently-developed techniques, according to the deputy chief-of research and development for the United States Army (Major-General C. W. Clark). General Clark arrived in Christchurch yesterday afternoon aboard a United States Air Force Boeing 707. At Christchurch airport the general and his aircraft were greeted by the commander

of the United States Navy Antarctic support force (Rear-Admiral J. R. Reedy), several staff officers and a crowd of about 200.

The Boeing made the journey from Washington to Christchurch in 21 hours 20 minutes.

General Clark said the United States Army had been interested in research in polar regions foir a long time. The purpose of his visit to the Antarctic was, he said, merely an exchange of information between what was being accomplished in Greenland by the Army and in Antarctica by the Navy. "This is my first visit to the southern polar regions and you might say it is just a general look around to see whait is being done down there.” he said. He expects to be back in Christchurch in about a week or 10 days. Also aboard the Boeing was an official party of 16, including Colonel G. Homann, commanding officer of the United Stitaes Polar Research and Development Centre at Fort Belvoir, in the United States. Its operations are carried out in Greenland

Colonel Homann said the Army was the support agent tor scientific research in the Arctic in the same way as was the Navy in the Antarctic.

He said his present visit to the Antarctic was a return call to one made last year by Rear-Admiral D. M. Tyree, the former naval commander, who visited Camp Century in Greenland tor discussions with him. In the Arctic, he said, the two main stations were

Camp Century and Camp Tuto, the latter being the Arctic equivalent of McMurdo station as the principal station. The Byrd under-snow station was modelled on Camp Century, he said.

The total Army support force in the Arctic was not nearly as large, nor was its job as essential as that of the Navy in the Antarctic. At Camp Tuto the population last year was about 800 While at Camp Century it was 230.

Accompanied by Admiral Reedy the party wild leave Christchurch this evening by Hercules for McMurdo Sound. They will look over

installations at various stations, and Byrd station in particular, tor about a week to 10 days.

At 2 p.tn. today the Boeing will leave the airport on its return flight to the United States. It will carry 75 passengers. For the next two months the Boeing will become a familiar sight at Christchurch airport. In this period there will be another 13 flights.