TRIP WITH ADMIRAL BYRD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22114, 18 November 1933, Page 21

TRIP WITH ADMIRAL BYRD

AN AUCKLANDER’S HOPE PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE IN 1930. A New Zealander, who has already had a trip to the Antarctic, to have another shortly, and (says 'the Auckland Star) he is eagerly awaiting tlje arrival in New Zealand waters of Admiral Richard Byrd’s second polar expedition. Ho is Dr Hilton Wilcox, a member of the Auckland Hospital residential staff. A keen student of polar exploration from his youth, Dr Wilcox partly satisfied his desire to participate in an expedition in 1930. He was then a medical student at Otago University, and like scores of other New Zealanders, applied for a trip in the City of New York when Byrd’s ship returned to Dunedin for more coal towards the end of 1929. The City of New York was to await instructions to return to the Bay of Whales to pick up the explorer and his party when the flight over the Pole had been accomplished. The complement of the ship for the return voyage was settled about November, but it was not until the following January that she headed south from Port Chalmers. Dr Wilcox had not then finished his course at the University, and his nautical experience was nil, hut he signed up as A. 8., and in that capacity experienced a voyage packed with hard work, thrills, and adventure. ACCUMULATION OF ICE. The City of New York had a trying experience in penetrating the ice-pacx and reaching the clearer waters of the Ross Sea. For three days she had to lie to in the lee of the pack to escape a I heavy gale. Then she steamed on, only to encounter another terrific storm. The [ ship was continually awash. The | weather turned so cold- that the ice accumulated . faster than ..the crew could chop it away, and towards the end ISO tons of 1 ice massed on the ship. When the skipper, Captain Melville, was despairing of having to .turn and run with the wind, Mount Erebus, on the polar barrier, was sighted. The ship had drifted several hundred miles to the westward, but was now able to get untfgr the lee of the barrier and make for her destination, Little America. On

* V > February 18 she was sighted from the Bay of Whales, as Byrd himself described it “sheathed in frozen spray from stem to stern, like a phantom ship against the dim horizon of frost smoke,” The trip from Dunedin, a direct distance of 2300 miles, had, owing to the battle with ice packs, storms, and high seas, taken 44 days'. VISIT -TO NEWFOUNDLAND. i There was no i respite when the bass was reached, and. all hands worked feverishly all night in getting the expedition and its equipment aboard, as R was imperative that the return journey should* bo commenced irnmedi* 1 ately. Next morning the City of New: lork headed for New Zealand again, and J9_ days later reached Dunedin. Dr Wilcox transferred to the other ship of the expeditipn, the Eleanor Bolling and went on to America with her. After' a year at one of the hospitals estab--111 Northern Newfoundland by Sir william Grenfell, he returned to New Zealand and completed his medical, course. He has been a member of the Auckland Hospital staff for 12 months. Though he has not yet had definite advice of his being included in Admiral. Byrds personnel for his pending visitfto the polar wastes, Dr Wilcox recently had a communication which raised hia hopes. Possibly the fact that he is now duly qualified will result in his services being availed of in some capacity other than that of able seaman. • i-- |