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Preliminary
Reconnaissance for Operation Deepfreeze
The
icebreaker USS ATKA departed Boston, MA on December
1, 1954, proceeding for Antarctica. She arrived at the Bay of
Whales and site of the former Little America bases on January
14, 1955. At this time it was discovered that the Bay of Whales
no longer existed. Only sheer cliffs of ice appeared where the
Barrier had come together. A large portion of the "tent"
city of Little America IV (OPERATION
HIGHJUMP 1946-47) had calved off and floated out to
sea. A suitable site for Little America V (to be built during
Operation Deepfreeze I) was determined at Kainan Bay, about twenty
miles east of the earlier locations. The arrival of the USS
ATKA at this point on the map was commemorated with a
wide assortment of cacheted mail.
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OPERATION
DEEPFREEZE I
STAGE I : 1955-56
Operation
Deepfreeze was planned in two stages. Deepfreeze I, in 1955-56
was designed to build an airfield at McMurdo Sound. Another base
was to be built near Little America in the Bay of Whales. Seven
ships and 1800 men participated in the first year.
Two Neptune and two Skymaster aircraft flew from New Zealand to
an airstrip on sea ice in McMurdo Sound on December 19, 1955.
Subsequently, nine long-range exploratory flights were made to
various points on the continent, including the South Pole and
southern extremity of the Weddell Sea..
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OPERATION
DEEPFREEZE II
STAGE II: 1956-57
Deepfreeze
II, in 1956-57, was intended to build a permanent station at the
South Pole along with establishment of three other IGY stations...Byrd
station in Marie Byrd Land, Wilkes station in Vincennes Bay /
Windmill Islands and Ellsworth station on the Filchner Ice Shelf.
Covers, such as this one, exist in enormous quantities. Covers
serviced at the Pole Station during Deepfreeze II rank as the
most prolific Antarctic cover in existence.
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OPERATION
DEEPFREEZE III
The IGY: 1957-58
Signed,
Captain Finn Ronne
IGY ELLSWORTH STATION.
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IGY SOUTH POLE STATION
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IGY
WILKES STATION
in
the Windmill Islands
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REVERSE
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SEP
4, 1957 ARMY AF Postal Service APO 942 (Greenland) and NOV 15, 1957
Little America cancellations tie US franking on this Wilkins flown
cover from the North Pole to the South Pole. Dates have been filled
in with flights of 3 different aircraft, including to and from Hawaii.
Signed, Hubert Wilkins. |
1957-58
TRANS-ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION
Technically
speaking, this is NOT a Deepfreeze cover. However, it definitely
belongs with this group as you will notice the "Pole Station"
cancel.
"This cover is signed by the parties that crossed the Antarctic
continent at the South Pole Station, including now "Sir Fuchs".
One was made and given to each of us that wintered-over and assisted
at the South Pole (midway point in the crossing). A total of 18
covers exist. Some of the signers later climbed Mt. Everest"
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EIGHTS
COAST
Very Scarce
The
EIGHTS COAST canceler was used only ONE
day ... 17 FEB 1960. Only 3000 covers were canceled.
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AMUNDSEN
SEA COAST
Very Scarce
A
"one-day post office" in the Amundsen Sea was established
on March 4, 1961 on board the USS GLACIER and USS
STATEN ISLAND. Approximately 2500 covers were processed
on both ships.
The
two special postmarks, EIGHTS COAST
and AMUNDSEN SEA COAST,
were not created for collectors, nor will they ever see
postal duty again.
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MARIE
BYRD LAND COAST
An
additional personal cachet has been applied by polar veteran A.H.
"Bud" Waite. Waite was one of the 3 men who rescued
Richard Byrd in 1934 at the Bolling Advance Weather Station,
during the SECOND
BYRD ANTARCTIC EXPEDITION. He took part in OPERATION
HIGHJUMP and during the IGY was leader of the US
Army Signal Corps Antarctic Research Team. He was communications
specialist on the USS ATKA during the US Navy Antarctic
Expedition of 1954-55, and on the USN Bellingshausen Sea Expedition
in 1959-60.
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MARIE
BYRD LAND COAST
Signed
by E.G. Grant, commanding officer of the USS GLACIER.
This was another "one-day post office". Covers returned
to collectors from the USS GLACIER with this particular
postmark had a mimeographed letter enclosed stating, among other
things, that "This envelope has been postmarked aboard USS
GLACIER (AGB-4) on 4 February 1962, with an additional
mark MARIE BYRD LAND COAST dated and used on this day only."
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ANTARCTIC
PENINSULA TRAVERSE
1961-62
A cover sent to Christchurch, New Zealand, canceled US NAVY 17038
BR (McMurdo) 10 FEB 62. Quite scarce, with signatures of 7 members
who participated in the event..
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HEROIC
ERA VISITORS
Cover signed by Philip Brocklehurst,
participant in Shackleton's NIMROD
EXPEDITION . . . AND signed by
Raymond Priestly, participant
in both Shackleton's Nimrod Expedition and Scott's TERRA
NOVA EXPEDITION .
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POLAR
PLATEAU STATION
An example of the rare Polar Plateau Station cachet used during
Deepfreeze 67.
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