[Admiral Byrd's Third United States Antarctic Service Expedition]

Rights Information
Reference
255540
Media type
Audio
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Rights Information
Reference
255540
Media type
Audio
Series
D series, ca. 1935-1950s.
Categories
Documentary radio programs
Nonfiction radio programs
Radio programs
Sound recordings
Duration
00:29:17
Credits
RNZ Collection
Tahiwi, Kingi Te Aho Aho Gillings, -1942 (d.1942), Announcer
HUTT, Peter, Interviewer
O'Brien, Bryan, Interviewer
Hawthorne, Roger, -1973, Interviewer
Poulter, Thomas Charles, 1897-1978, Interviewee
Siple, Paul, 1908-1968, Interviewee
Gutenko, Sigmund, Interviewee
Petras, Ted, Interviewee
Lystad, Isak, Interviewee
McCoy, Jim, Interviewee
Morency, Anthony, Interviewee
Boyd, Vernon D., Interviewee
Ronne, Finn, 1899-1980, Interviewee
Dustin, Frederick G., Interviewee
Collier, Zadik, Interviewee
Soundcraft Studios Ltd., Producer
2ZB (Radio station : Wellington, N.Z.), Broadcaster

An unidentified announcer opens with "This is a Commercial Broadcasting Service originating a Network Broadcast from 2ZB Wellington of a commentary from the United States Antarctic Service Expedition ship, North Star."
[This was the third Byrd Antarctic expedition which docked in Wellington in December 1939 en route to Antarctica.]

2ZB reporter Kingi Tahiwi introduces fellow broadcaster Peter Hutt who interviews crew members, together with Roger Hawthorne, the official recorder of the expedition. He speaks first on behalf of Admiral Byrd who cannot be present, and introduces Dr Thomas C. Poulter who designed the 'snow cruiser', an automotive unit 55 feet long with a crew of four men in the field and tyres 3 feet by 10 feet wide, to be used in the Antarctic on snow and ice.

The leader of the West Base, Dr. Paul Siple, responsible for research on the effects the Antarctic climate has on human beings and their equipment, talks about the magnetic and seismic field work that he and others will do whilst on location.
Milton G. Lobell talks about tracking the protected whales to see if they are taking advantage of the sanctuary which has been set aside between West and East Base through an international treaty.
Sigmund Gutenko describes the amount and type of food transported with them which is enough to last the men two years and weighs 90 tonnes.
Ted Petras in charge of the bi-plane talks about distances and speeds the plane can achieve and how a photographer will map the coast line from the air from West to East Base.
Roger Hawthorne then introduces the captain of the "North Star", Captain Isak Lystad who speaks briefly.
Another 2ZB reporter Bryan O'Brien introduces Jim McCoy, the chief pilot of the Expedition who talks about the aircraft, the Curtiss Condor.
Brief interviews are heard with Anthony Morency, tractor and tank driver and Vernon Boyd, the master mechanic.

Bryan O'Brien interviews Finn Ronne, who is in charge of the dogs. Bryan was on the second Byrd expedition and they discuss the types of dogs Finn is caring for. There are 64 in total, including malamutes from Alaska and others 'from the northern coast of Labrador'. There are also 12 puppies on board and also some dogs which were on the previous expedition. Finn Ronne talks about feeding the dogs with pemmican [barking is heard in the background] and also seal meat. [Further attempts to get a dog to bark on-command are unsuccessful.]

"Dusty" Fred Dustin introduces his dog, Ricky, who was born on the second Byrd expedition. He is a Labrador-Husky who barks and 'shakes hands.'

Roger Hawthorne introduces Zadik Collier, an aviation machinist. He has been with the U.S. Marine Corps for 17 years.
They then cross back to 2ZB reporter Kingi in the social hall, where he rings the ship's "chow bell" or dinner gong.

Broadcaster Peter Hutt makes a comment about the amount and assortment of gear and equipment onboard the ship, like sewing machines and bamboo poles and Roger Hawthorne explains the use of the bamboo poles to mark safe tracks across the snow and the sewing machines which are used to make and repair parkas and other equipment.

Cutting back to 2ZB reporter Bryan O'Brien again, interviews continue in the ship's galley. Dusty introduces Mr Douglas in the galley, who talks about cooking seal meat and penguins. Bryan reminisces about eating them on his trip to Antarctica. Mr Harvey, another galleyman, says he was raised eating seal meat and says it is very palatable. Mr Gutenko is dishing up mulligan stew. In the crew's quarters the bo'sun, another unidentified man and Carl Weisenburg [?] say 'Hello" and share a joke about hairstyles.
The broadcast then crosses back to the studio in Wellington.