More McMurdo

© David Eldred

1962

McMurdo Base. Built in 1956, McMurdo was, and still is, the chief U.S. Antarctic research station. It is Antarctica's largest community.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mcmurdo_station

McMurdo Base

© David Eldred

1962

The Chapel of the Snows was built in 1956 by volunteers using scrap bits and pieces from other buildings. It burned in 1978 and was replaced by a larger structure: http://www.southpolestation.com/trivia/history/chapel.html

Ice in the Channel

© David Eldred

1962

Cutting ice in the channel. Photo taken from the bridge of the Eastwind. US Navy cargo ship PVT Joseph Merrell (AK 275) on the right.

Mount Erebus

© David Eldred

1963

Mount Erebus reflected in the calm waters of McMurdo Sound.

© 2006 David Eldred

1963

Background: A plume of smoke above Mount Erebus offers a hint of the mountain's volcanic nature. Mount Erebus is the world's southernmost volcano. Foreground: David Eldred takes a break on the Eastwind.

http://www.ees.nmt.edu/Geop/mevo/mevo.html

On the Ice

© David Eldred

1963

QM2 David Eldred

The USCGC Eastwind (W-279) was one of seven "wind class" ice breakers. The Eastwind was commissioned in 1944 and, in WWII, had the distinction of capturing the German ship Exernsteine, the only enemy ship to be captured intact during the war. After 1945, the Eastwind saw ice-breaking duty at both poles. In 1960, it became the first ice-breaker to circumnavigate the globe. The Eastwind was scrapped in 1968.