Wedding Anniversary Over North Pole

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31843, 22 November 1968, Page 3

Wedding Anniversary Over North Pole

By coincidence, an American couple on a journey round the world celebrated their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary over the North Pole recently. They are Commander F. G. Dustin and Mrs Dustin, of Boston. “This was quite unplanned. We were so busy getting ready for the trip that we never gave a thought to our anniversary,” said Mrs Dustin. in Christchurch yesterday. The only woman in a party of 68. she will be the first female to have flown over both the North Pole and South Pole when she returns home. Commander Dustin is the president of the Admiral Richard E. Byrd Polar Centre established in Boston earlier this year, and his wife is a director. A personal adviser and aid to Admiral Byrd before his ( death. Commander Dustin organised the round-the-world journey r to commemorate Admiral Byrd’s flight to the South Pole. He is leading the party’ of 60 wealthy American men and eight staff members. Mrs Dustin qualified to be the only woman in the group through being a registered nurse and former airline stewardess. W’ith stops on every con-i tinent and an itinerary which

; tinent and an itinery which includes State functions, Mrs Dustin had to Jiave a wardrobe for all occasions and ■ seasons. She managed this with the help of a friend who used to be a fashion writer on a Boston newspaper. The basis of her wardrobe is an inter-changeable set of non-crushable garments by a young Boston designer. She has a beige dress and jacket, a brown skirt and a beige jersey-blouse. “I have a long hostess skirt i which I haven’t had a chance Ito wear yet. and a very regal I long gown for State functions.

I am sure my luggage exceeds 601bs because 1 also have several knits, 10 pairs of shoes and a pair of knee-high boots.” There is also regulation wear for a brief stop at Antarctica, some of which has already been worn in Greenland. Six Times Mrs Dustin had been only to Canada before this trip but always wanted to go to the Antarctic. Her husband has been there six times with Admiral Byrd but it was not until he was organising the trans-polar flight that her opportunity arose. “My husband knew many of Admiral Byrd’s hopes and thoughts and this flight is his way of attempting to further what the admiral had in mind for the polar regions,” Mrs Dustin said. In New Zealand, they have been met at airports by friends her husband made on previous visits, people she felt she knew well because she had corresponded with them over a number of years. Commander and Mrs Dustin have a daughter and two grand daughters. Actress’ Father Dead.— Francis Taylor, the father of the actress, Elizabeth Taylor, was found dead yesterday at his Bel Air home, the Associated Press reported. He apparently died in his sleep during the night. He suffered a stroke three years ago.— (Los Angeles, November 21.)