EVEREST EXPEDITION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 9, 8 December 1932, Page 7

EVEREST EXPEDITION.

DEPARTURE EARLY NEXT YEAR

(Times Cable.) LONDON, Dec. 7. The British Everest Expedition expects to leave early in the New Year. MEMBERS OF EXPEDITION. Brigadier-General C. G. Bruce, who was leader of the Everest Expedition in 1922 and 1924, writes in the London Times as follows:—Eleven gentlemen, including two doctors, have received invitations to accompany the fourth Mount /Everest Expedition ' which leaves England early in the New Year. As previously announced, the expedition will be in charge of Mr Hugh lluttledge. Tho other members are as follow:

Mr F. S. Smytlie.—He was a member of tho Kanchenjunga Expedition of 1928 and the leader of the successful Kamet Expedition of last year, on which he Was special correspondent of the Times.

Captain J. E. Hugh Boustead. —A man with an extraordinarily fine athletic record. , He has represented Great Britain as a boxer in the Olympic Games and also has a fine record as a mountaineer. For many years he has been employed in tho Sudan with the Sudanese troops, but so keen was he on qualifying himself for a Himalayan expedition that he fitted out a small one on his own account and did some quite excellent exploration and climbing in the Sikkim Himalayas. Captain J. Burney.—He has lately been in charge of the bodyguard of the Governor of Bengal, and is known as quite a first-class polo player and a very fine squash rackets player; and since his exploits with Air Smythe’s expedition to Kamet he is no doubt equally well known as a mountaineer. Air C. C. Crawford. —Like the leader of the expedition, Air Crawford lias retired early from the Indian Civil Service. He was a member of the 1922 expedition, whero he had the unpleasant experience of being carried down with the same avalanche which overwhelmed seven porters. _ He has had a very long Alpine experience as a climber not only in the Alps and Himalayas but also in the Canadian Rockies. His experience in tho 1922 expedition will be of great value to the party. A KENYA CUMBER.

Mr Wyn Harris. —One of the foremost among young modern mountaineers. He got liis training in the Alps and British mountains, but since that time has done a great amount of climbing also in Airica, his latest exploit being a traverse of Mount Kenya by a route never previously attempted. Mr J. Longland. —He occupies a position in the mountaineering world of the North of England second to none. He is a fine representative of young modern English mountaineers, and lias an immense record of magnificent work behind him in the Alps, and will be a most valuable member of the expedition. Mr Noel Odell. —To those who have read the history of the 1924 expedition it is almost unnecessary to introduce Mr Odell. His record was almost the most extraordinary of any of that expedition, and at the present time he has lost none of his power and should prove of most valuable assistance. Mr E. O. Shebbeare. —He is a conservator of forests under the Bengal Government. No man in bis wa.lk or life is better known. Ho thoroughly knows and understands the natives, not only of Sikkim but of Tibet and all the surrounding hill tracts. His particular role will be head of the transport arrangements, and liis long experience in all these matters, to sa.y nothing of liis experience in the 1924 expedition, will be of the greatest possible value of tne party. Mr E. E. Shipton.—Mr Shipton is also from East Africa, and was. probably the most prominent of Mr Smytlie’s companions on 'Kamet. He has had a great and varied experience of mountaineering of all kinds, and his record on Kamet is in itself very remarkable. Two doctors have also been invited. Dr. C. Raymond Greene was the medical officer with Mr Smythe on the Kamet Expedition, and was one of the party which reached the summit. It is hoped that Dr. W. McLean will be tlie second doctor. He is a member of tlie Alpine Club, as are the rest of the members of the expedition. With regard to the age of the members, I may say tha.t all except Mr Crawford and MF Shebbeare, whether doctors or' climbers, as above enumerated, are well under 40 years of age.

THE KING’S INTEREST. The chairman of the Mount Everest Committee has received the following letter signed by Colonel Sii Frederick Ponsonby, Keeper of tlie Privy Purse: - “The King read with much interest of the characteristically British decision of tlie Mount Everest Committee, composed of the Royal Geographical Society, the Alpine Club, and the Himalayan Club, not to be content with the achievements of men like Mallory and Irvine, who lost their lives . in their attempt to reach tlie summit of Mount Everest, and of Norton and Somervell, who so nearly succeeded, but to equip and send out yet another expedition next year. Ihe experiences of Colonel Howard Bury, General Bruce, and Colonel Norton should, His Majesty feels, be of great assistance to the members of this fresh expedition, and enable them to overcome the appalling difficulties which have hitherto proved insurmountable. “It was with great satisfaction that the King heard that Mr Hugh Ruttledge had been appointed commander of tho expedition, as his knowledge of mountaineering and intimate acquaintance with the Himalayan people and Tibetans render him eminently fitted for this post. His Majesty wishes him and the party of 12 who will accompany him every success, and will follow their movements with the keenest in-

terest. ' The King knows that expeditions or this nature require careful and costly preparation, and desires Jno to send you the enclosed cheque for £IOO which he wishes to give towards tho expenses.”