Part III: Antarctica and Academe - Scott Polar Research Institute

confirmed as permanent and pensionable in l964, my post and Ray Adie’s post as
Head of the Geology Section at Birmingham were the first permanent scientific posts
created in FIDS/BAS. However, the corresponding Atmospheric and Earth Sciences
Divisions were not created until 1973, but in 1969 there were Sections on Geology
and Solid Earth Geophysics (housed at Birmingham University), Glaciology
(Cambridge) and Solid Earth geophysics (Edinburgh) and Ionospherics (Slough)]
The development of FIDS from 1954 to 1969. [VEF Memoir for RS]
During the time I had been away from the Survey, first studying whale biology
in the Antarctic and at the National Institute of Oceanography and then in Africa, the
scientific work of the Survey, had developed slowly from the early emphasis on a
political presence involving an administration, supported by meteorology,
geographical exploration, and surveying, to the beginnings of a wider, more research
based programme.
When I was writing up my elephant seal work in the early 1950s at Cambridge
for my PhD, London Office or Rear base, Crown Agents, was responsible for
supplies, equipment and recruitment for FIDS. Returning to Britain in l950 Bunny
Fuchs had been appointed Principal Scientific Officer and set up another office in
London, responsible for scientific matters, the FIDS Scientific Bureau, with direct
responsibility to the Colonial Secretary (ref 77). The purpose was to plan new
programmes more efficiently and to enable young scientists to write up their
research. It served as a focal point for the few scientists like myself writing up their
field work and indeed for all Fids. Bunny was very helpful and supportive in
‘smoothing the way’. He was responsible for the custody of specimens and records
and for their analysis and publication in a new series, the FIDS Scientific Reports. In
1952 the British National Committee for Antarctic Research was set up by the Royal
Society. In 1953 the life of the Bureau was extended for a further three years and from
1 April it became an integral part of FIDS.
Initially Fuchs worked in conjunction with the independent logistics operation,
and with the Scientific Committee working to political and scientific objectives. It
was not to his liking for his heart was in exploration and the split command made
life difficult. During lie-up periods in the tent, due to bouts of bad weather on the
long journeys down [King] George VI Sound in 1948 and 1949, [with Ray Adie], he
had begun to develop plans for an expedition with the primary objective of crossing
the Antarctic from the Weddell Sea to the Ross Sea. This feat had been attempted,
unsuccessfully, by Wilhelm Filchner in 1911 and Ernest Shackleton in l914. The plans
took shape and in l955 he took long leave from the Bureau to plan and undertake a
private expedition, the Commonwealth Trans Antarctic Expedition (TAE). Support
had to be sought and funds raised: some £725,000, about £12 million at today’s
prices. He received support from Wordie, but was opposed by the British Polar/
Geographical establishment, represented by B B Roberts and G C L Bertram, who
sought funds for FIDASE and L Kirwan and the Royal Geographical Society (RGS)
who felt the crossing should be led by Sir Edmund Hillary. But Sir Winston Churchill
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