Antarctica

VOYAGE OF MV THALA DAN 1961/62 V2 - Changeover Wilkes

Voyage - 1961/62 V2 - Changeover Wilkes
VOYAGE OF MV THALA DAN
Expedition Leader:  Phillip Garth Law
Ship Captain:  Hans A J Nielsen

Voyage Support:
Deputy Voyage Leader: T R Harwood

Army DUKWs:
2nd Lieut Ron M Kelly 
Sgt K L Pledger
Sgt D J Evans
Lt M J Keane??
Sgt S J Falk??
Sgt W J Smith??
Cpl L H Smith??

RAAF Antarctic Flight:
Beaver A95/205
Squadron Leader Norman F Ashworth
Commanding Officer: Squadron Leader J R Batchelor
Pilot Officer G G Cooper???
Engine/Airframe fitter: Flight Sergeant Alan K Richardson
Corporal R or J? Frecker??
Corporal D D Tiller ???

Helicopters:
Captain John Stanwix
Captain John Arthurson
Arthur Chapman

Round Trip:
Major Harvey Buskirk, USAF, Official US Observer
Sydney Lorrimar Kirkby, Surveyor, Division of National mapping
Christopher Gregory, Geologist, Bureau of Mineral Resources
Commander d'A Thomas Gale, Hydrographer, RAN
Raymond Missen, AWS Technician, Bureau of Meteorology
Dr Wallace H Campbell, US Physicist, embarked Macquarie Island on homeward leg

Itinerary:	        Arrive      Depart

Melbourne               18 Dec 61   22 Dec 61
Lewis Island	        29 Dec 61    2 Jan 62
Wilkes	                10 Jan 62   18 Jan 62
Chick Island ice edge	21 Jan 62   24 Jan 62
Lewis Island	        27 Jan 62   28 Jan 62
Commonwealth Bay 	31 Jan 62    1 Feb 62
Dumont d'Urville         2 Feb 62    2 Feb 62
Mertz Glacier Tongue     3 Feb 62    6 Frb 62
King George V Land       7 Feb 62    7 Feb 62
Oates Land	        11 Feb 62   25 Feb 62
Macquarie Island         2 Mar 62    3 Mar 62
Melbourne		 8 Mar 62

This voyage conducted the Wilkes changeover, inspected a site for a new
station in the Wilkes area and made the first comprehensive survey of the
Wilkes and Oates Land coasts, making it possible to map 480 km of coast and
some 52,000 km2 of previously unknown territory.  New landings were made at
eight places.  Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition hut at Cape Denison,
Dumont d'Urville and Macquarie Island was also visited.  The RAAF Flight
photographed 1600 km of poorly mapped coast and unknown inland terrain. 
Heights of the inland plateau were determined, astrofixes were obtained at
seven points and geomagnetic observations were made at eight new sites.  Of
the 14,500 km travelled, 1300 were in ice.  This was one of the most
successful and profitable voyages of ANARE exploration to date. 

reference "Antarctic Events Database" data of the Australian Antarctic Data Center

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